The Shadow within
by Myranya
Summary: Alternate universe story picking up from The Gathering Storm chapter 42, where Verin's actions aren't quite as successful as in the actual series.
1. Intro

Author's notes.

I like the Wheel of Time series. A lot. However, some things in TGS simply do not make sense, and these things led to the death of one of my favorite characters. It kept nagging at me, and I wrote an alternate universe story, from chapter 42 on. Where the Lord of the Grave does not fail to notice the arrival of a certain treacherous little snake. Where Sheriam is not caught off-guard by something as simple as a few rapidly fired questions. Where Mesaana is a strong and sensible character, as she is described in the Guide, instead of how she ended up in the actual series, so driven by her anger that she makes mistake after mistake (see 'Mesaana's story' for more; you may want to read that first). Or to continue on my last line of the author's notes there, where the Light can go climb a tree for all I care.

Those who prefer the most evil of the Chosen, who love Semirhage and Moridin and their lot, or the likes of Chesmal, Temaile and Liandrin among the Black, will probably think my story weak and soppy, but as TGS shows (and is hinted at a few times earlier on), not all who joined the Great Lord are like them. Those who like Sheriam, Dagdara, Moria, Marillin... this story is for you.

(Disclaimer: the Wheel of Time universe and most of these characters aren't mine, I just play here. )


	2. Prologue - Death is no escape

**Prologue: Death is no escape.**

Verin felt herself grow more tired, her limbs heavy. The poison had taken effect slightly quicker than she had thought, and she had not said as much as she wanted to, but she'd covered the important things at least. Egwene would be able to do what was needed, she had confidence in the young woman. She stopped fighting the effects of the poison, allowed herself to fall asleep. Death would come soon after.

She wasn't sure how long it had been, when awareness returned. She was disoriented, she was definitely awake but something was different. Only then she realized she could not feel her body. Was she paralyzed, or held by the Power somehow? She concentrated but could not feel anything, anything at all. Then she remembered what had happened. She had done it, had given Egwene the information she needed! Then her satisfaction melted away as a voice crashed into her mind.

WHAT HAVE YOU DONE

So the Dark One had noticed. She had considered the possibility, had known he was called Lord of the Grave, and that his power reached beyond death. But she had prepared too. Drawing on a lifetime of mental discipline, she left her mind blank, not answering.

WHAT HAVE YOU DONE

The voice crashed into her mind again. Verin ignored it.

Now she felt as if something tried to pry at her mind, burrow into her head -if she'd had one. She did not make up any excuses, lies might be detected. But no matter how many tales she had researched, not once had she heard of the Dark One being able to read someone's thoughts literally, before or after death. She stayed silent as before.

The prying went deeper, deeper, then disappeared. She did not allow herself to feel relief or hope that she had won. The Dark One would not give up so easily, and hope was one of the most dangerous things. Leaving prisoners alone, even allowing them to believe in release or escape, then dashing those hopes, it was one of the more effective ways of torture. But it was time consuming as well. As long as she could hold out for a little while, a day or perhaps two, Egwene should have been able to act on the information she had. Even held captive, she had contacts with several allies, Verin had seen evidence of that in the short time she had spent in the Tower.

Suddenly she felt something wrench at her mind and she blinked. Literally blinked, because she had eyes again. Then she clenched them shut just as quickly, the light unbearable after the darkness, or simple nothingness, she had floated in. She felt the rest of her body. She was laying on her side on a cold, hard floor, smooth as tile or marble, and she was naked.

Carefully, squinting against the harsh light, she opened her eyes for the second time and looked at herself. It wasn't her own body, but she had known that from the feeling alone. More slender, much younger, and she saw long, brown hair spread out on the floor beneath her face, lighter brown than hers had been even in her youth. It wasn't just a younger version of herself, she was taller now and she had never been this slim. She raised a hand, the fingers long, slender and soft.

"If you are done admiring yourself, perhaps you can tell me what you have done. Although you are right, it is a rather nice body you have. It will be a pity if I have to maim it too much."

The voice was like dry bones crumbling, a Myrddraal without doubt. The cold fear crept into her in spite of all her carefully built mental disciplines, and in a reflex, against all better judgment, she reached for Saidar. No, she was shielded.

"Really, Verin, your lack of control disappoints me. You can't think I would allow that."

Verin chided herself for her lapse of concentration. She had worked so hard on her mental disciplines, and here she was making mistakes while the interrogation was barely started! It was finding herself in a strange body that threw her off, while she knew it could be done, it was something she had not expected. But it was mental disciplines she had trained, her body should not matter much. The physical pain that was to come she could deal with, even if this body was not trained in it.

She heard soft footsteps, almost unheard even on the marble, and black boots came into view. She looked up, felt a cold fist clench her heart as what she had not allowed herself to think was confirmed. Shaidar Haran! With great effort she kept her face calm.

The tall Myrddraal shook his head as he looked down upon her. "You try so hard to be brave, but I can see your muscles tense up, hear every irregularity in your breathing."

He stepped forward, knelt down next to her and ran a cold hand over her body, stroking softly as one would pet an animal.

"You forget rather more than your face is exposed to me."

This time she did relax her body, managed to pretend his touch did not affect her.

Shaidar Haran smiled.

"That's the spirit." Then the smile disappeared as he stood up abruptly, turned and walked to a table set against the far wall. "I would enjoy breaking you slowly, but we have little time."

Verin watched, still motionless, as he picked up a small box from the table.

"Get on your knees."

She ignored the command.

Only a few heartbeats later, she was picked up by invisible weaves of the Power and forced onto her knees, back bent down low. She gasped. Myrddraal couldn't channel! So much she had known and still too much she had missed. She forced herself to breathe normally again, but of course Shaidar Haran had long noticed her shock.

"Surprised?" he enquired, almost pleasantly.

Yes she was, but she managed to regain control of her emotions quickly each time. Still, the first glimmer of doubt started to worm into her mind. Had she underestimated the kind of interrogation she would be subjected to? She pushed it down just as quickly. If she allowed herself to doubt her abilities, then she would be lost.

Shaidar Haran walked back towards her, then two stools flew through the air and landed in front of her.

Verin no longer reacted to seeing him channel, kept her breathing perfectly even.

The Myrddraal sat down on the taller of the two stools.

"I suppose asking you to give me your hand is useless," he remarked, even as he reached out and took her left wrist. She tensed, resisted, but his physical strength was greater than that of any man. He placed her hand on the smaller stool, palm down, then she felt the Air solidify across the back of her hand and her wrist.

"People always think of great torture chambers filled with large, ingenious instruments," Shaidar Haran said, as he looked at the small box he had held in his other hand. "But really, a few very small items can be just as effective."

He opened the box, it rattled slightly. Then he took out five short, thick but sharp pins and placed them carefully on the edge of the small stool. He closed the box and put it aside, on the floor.

Verin watched, her apprehension and breathing under control. She would embrace the pain as she had learned from studying many disciplines in her past life.

Shaidar Haran picked up the first of the pins, paused once more as he seemed to decide where to start. He placed the tip under the nail of her index finger, and pushed.

Pain shot up her finger, lanced through her hand all the way up her arm. Verin gasped loudly, the pain worse than she had imagined. But she managed to bite back a scream.

The Myrddraal took the second pin, but this time, more prepared, Verin managed to stay completely silent. At the third she had to bite her lip. The fourth, under her pinky nail, made her gasp again and she pulled back, muscles straining against the bond. When the fifth pin was pushed under the nail of her thumb she was sweating and tears leaked down her face, but still no sound louder than a gasp had crossed her lips.

Shaidar Haran looked at her intently with his eyeless gaze. "Stubborn like an Aiel. But I will find your voice."

He reached down, pushed down on the end of one of the pins, pulled another one sharply up, twisted a third side to side.

Verin screamed. Her resolve melted away under the pain that shot up her arm, her hand aflame, and she bellowed, writhing as she pulled against the bonds that held her.

Shaidar Haran did not let up, it was not merely screams he wanted. He continued to play with the pins stuck under her nails, while Verin cried out. It seemed to go on for a long time.

Her voice grew hoarse, but in a way it was a relief to scream. It was a way to let out some of the pain and fear she felt, and simple screams would not give anything away. She would not beg him to stop, would not talk about what she had done. Not yet.

Finally the constant fiddling with the pins came to an end. The throbbing pain barely lessened, but at least there were no new shoots of fire lancing up her arm. Verin stopped screaming, slumped in the bonds, breathing hard.

Shaidar Haran reached out, petted her on her head. "You think that hurt?" he asked. He got up, and Verin could hear him walk to the table. She raised her head, saw him pick up a bowl and a small knife.  
Shaidar Haran sat back down, stroked her fingers with one of his, then, one by one, he pulled the pins out and laid them aside. But before Verin had any time to feel relief, she felt something take the nail of her index finger and tug. She yelped as the nail was pulled out of the nail bed.

Then Shaidar Haran reached into the bowl, and she felt all blood leave her face as she saw the ice pepper in his hand.

"No," she said softly before she could stop herself.

For a moment Shaidar Haran looked at her, then shook his head. "No, you aren't ready to talk yet."

And she wasn't. She clenched her teeth as she watched Shaidar Haran cut open the pepper, then pick up the pin. And she howled as he put the pepper on her ravaged finger, then pinned it in place, pushing the pin clear through the flesh, almost effortlessly with his superhuman strength. She howled, writhed, then passed out, only to be brought back to consciousness with a weave that burned like fire throughout her body.

Gasping for breath, she hung in the bonds of Air. Somewhere on the periphery of her mind she noticed she had soiled herself, but she didn't even care. All she knew was that she hurt and it was far from over.

"That was only one finger," Shaidar Haran told her. "Perhaps, you are beginning to consider telling me what you did?"

"No," Verin hissed between her teeth. She couldn't, she really couldn't, she had to give Egwene time to act.

"Your choice," Shadar Haran remarked, even as he reached into the bowl for another ice pepper.

Her next nail was pulled out, and the pepper pinned in its place. Then a third, the fourth, and fifth. Verin no longer cared how much she screamed or cried, and she passed out twice more. Shadar Haran did not pause in between to ask her if she wanted to talk, and she did not beg him to stop. Finally he was done, her hand throbbed and burned as if it was held in boiling oil. But she had held out.

As the bonds of Air around her hand and wrist were released, she lacked even the strength to hold her hand up. It slipped off the small stool, and she cried out as the protruding pins hit the floor. Then she screamed in even more horror as Shaidar Haran grasped her other hand, the right one, to put it in place of the first one.

"No, no!" She could not help herself. She struggled, tried to pull lose with all her strength, then clenched her fist as he pulled her arm forward in spite of her struggles. He pried her fingers open, snapping the bone of one of them in the process. As tears streamed down her face, he put her hand down and wove the bonds of Air around it.

"If you want me to stop, you only have to tell me what I want to know," Shaidar Haran said.

She shook her head weakly. "No," she whispered.

With a small shrug, Shaidar Haran retrieved five more pins from the small box.

On the left hand, Verin had managed to stop herself from screaming as the pins were inserted, now she did not know how she had managed that. She yelped with each one, and as the Myrddraal started to tug and turn and wriggle them, she thought her voice would give out. He kept it up longer, far longer than with her left hand, or so it seemed to her. She passed out twice more, each time awakening to constant agony, only the third time when she found herself slumped in the bonds did he no long play with the pins. Which could hardly be called a relief.

Shaidar Haran reached for the bowl, then paused as he studied her.

"This is your last chance to talk. If you do not take it, I will not stop until I am done with this hand," he told her.

She wanted him to stop, _anything_ to make him stop, but she thought of the number of Black, of those in influential positions like Sheriam, Moria, Alviarin, Duhara, Sedore, Velina, Katerine.. Not to mention Mesaana who had placed herself in the Tower. If she did not hold out, Verin was sure the Tower would be lost. She shook her head weakly.

The next moment, she was gagged, no longer able to plead even if she wanted to. She cried and struggled as Shaidar Haran pulled out the first nail. By the second nail, she knew she had made a mistake. She couldn't, couldn't hold out any longer. But she could not speak, and she knew Shaidar Haran would not listen if she had been able to. She passed out, was wakened, lost consciousness again, she lost count of how many times it had been. He pinned the ice pepper on her third finger, her fourth, and when Shaidar Haran rubbed, almost caressed her thumb before pushing the last pin through the flesh, Verin knew he had won. The only hope she had left was that maybe it had been long enough, she hadn't held out near as long as she had wanted to but surely she had been here all night, at least.

The gag dropped and she burst out, "Egwene has it." If the girl hadn't taken quick action, it would mean her death. And the fall of the White Tower. But Verin no longer cared. No, that was wrong, she did care. It just wasn't enough to make her bear more of this.

"Has what?" Shaidar Haran inquired calmly.

"The names of the Black, all I could find. I wrote them in a notebook, in code, and I gave it to Egwene. I had a Bookstrap. And I wrote letters." She was babbling now, not telling what she had done in a coherent manner, but Shaidar Haran listened, asked questions, and Verin answered them all.

Finally she had told everything, and Shaidar Haran seemed satisfied. She felt the bonds of Air disappear and she slumped down, crouching over her ruined hands protectively. Once more she felt Shaidar Haran's hand pat her on the head.

"There is clean water in the bucket near the wall behind you. You may remove the pins and wash up," he said.

Remove the pins, herself? While she had no use of her hands? She shuddered at the thought of even the slightest touch to the pins stuck in her flesh, but she knew he would not help her.

"Yes, High Master," she whispered. He had told her to address him like that, as if he were one of the Forsaken.

"I will return." Shaidar Haran said, and walked towards the only door in the room. No doubt to send out messages to warn the Black, and Mesaana, and those who would command the armies at Caemlyn. Or would it be too late? She had to know.

"How long?" It came out a whisper, but Shaidar Haran had very accurate hearing. He stopped, turned.

"What?"

"How long have I been here?" Verin asked.

Shaidar Haran laughed. Laughed, a Myrddraal! "You died just three hours ago," he told her, then walked out of the room.

Verin stared after him. It had only been three hours? Then all was lost, all was for naught. She looked at her hands, ugly purple bruises spreading far up each finger, burning under the ice peppers as if they were on fire. She was allowed to take the peppers off but she couldn't muster the strength to work out the pins, or to crawl over to the bucket of water to dilute the vicious juices. She sagged down, hands laid carefully in front of her so the pins were disturbed as little as possible, and cried.

-0-

A little later Verin heard a woman scream and plead. She couldn't tell who it was, the voice was distorted through the closed door and regularly broke. Was it Alviarin, or Sheriam, or even Mesaana? She didn't know, and for all but the last, she could not even feel satisfaction about the fact that Shaidar Haran was clearly displeased with whoever it was. She knew what she had tried to do would have caused over two hundred Aes Sedai to be Stilled and executed, but it was necessity, she couldn't and never would relish their pain.

Soon after, the screams stopped and Shaidar Haran returned. Verin was still in the same position on the floor. She raised her head.

"The al'Vere girl should be taken care of," Shaidar Haran said, and smiled in response as she sighed. He walked over to her, knelt down next to her as he had when she had just been resurrected.

"So you haven't cleaned up yet. These won't get any better if you leave them like this." He flicked one of the pins stuck through her flesh, and she inhaled sharply. "You bear pain well, few people have lasted even half as long."

Verin glared down at the floor. What did he want now, he had won, did he expect her to thank him for the compliment? It was irrelevant how long she had lasted compared to others, it had not been enough.

"Playing dumb again I see. No matter, I am sure you have told me all I needed to know." He ran a finger down her back, stroking softly. "I reward those who serve me well." Then he dug in his nails, sharp as knives. She felt the skin part, the cut so sharp it was not even truly painful just yet. "But I always punish those who disobey me," he continued in the same tone of voice.

Verin remained silent, the cuts on her back were nothing compared to what she had been through before. Abruptly Shaidar Haran got up.

"Tomorrow morning you start your duties as my servant. What shape your fingers are in is no concern of mine."

Now Verin looked at him, wide-eyed. With anything short of Healing, any manual labor was going to be agony for days. But she did not doubt he would force her to do the work, and he would even if she still had the pins through her fingers. She looked down at her hands, shuddered, then raised her right hand and took the pin protruding from her thumb in her teeth, pulled. She hissed in pain as the pin came free, and blood started to trickle from the wound. But there was a slight, ever so slight, relief too when the ice pepper fell away from the exposed nail bed. One down, only nine to go.

Once again she steeled herself and tried to remain stoic as she pulled out the pins one by one. Sometimes a moan or hiss escaped her, but she did not cry out, and in spite of feeling utterly exhausted, to the point where her hand shook each time she lifted it, she did not pass out.

Shaidar Haran stood watching her all the time. When she pulled the last pin out, he nodded at her. "Very sensible." At the same time, the bucket of water lifted from the floor and landed next to her.

Verin looked at it as if it were a viper about to strike her. Was this just another trick to break her? She wanted to shun the bucket, but her hands still burned. And he had already won, her life work was lost. What help would it be to the world if she resisted him, would she only hurt herself? She had always been proud of her ability to be sensible, and being stubborn when nothing was gained by it wasn't it. And even if she did yield now, that didn't mean she would have to do the same if there ever came another opportunity to fight. She put her hands into the cool water.


	3. Sealed to the Flame -alternate version

**Sealed to the Flame -alternate version**

Sheriam felt the powerful presence in her tent the moment she cautiously entered, and with a sinking feeling in her stomach she realized that whatever had happened at the White Tower tonight had not been enough to distract the Chosen for more than a few hours. She threw herself down on her knees.

"High Mistress."

"There you are, finally!" Mesaana said.

Finally? She had been here in her tent earlier in the evening. Mesaana was the one who was late, who had likely been tied up in whatever had happened in the Tower earlier. A battle?

"I have the ter'angreal, High Mistress, eighteen of them."

She'd managed to take most of the ter'angreal, but there should have been nineteen, one had been missing from the camp's store rooms. Sheriam steeled herself for what would come. Even Halima had never maimed her.

"Never mind the sleepweavers," Mesaana snapped. "Something has come up."

Never _mind_ them? Sheriam didn't know whether to laugh or to cry, after the great risk she had taken to steal them. But relief had the upper hand, for now the one missing wouldn't matter either, and perhaps if she had more time she could find out who had it, in case Mesaana suddenly changed her mind again.

If whatever had come up didn't kill her first. It must be related to the channeling at the Tower. Although that hadn't started until after she had expected Mesaana to show up, had it? Whatever it was, it had to be something serious. Now that she could take her mind off of the prospect of losing a digit, she noticed Mesaana was very agitated. The previous time, Mesaana had worn the same disguise with ribbons of dark cloth fluttering around her, but the woman underneath had been perfectly calm. Now she noticed the shifting, jerking motions, and she thought with a start that if it hadn't been for the lack of room between her cot and trunk, Mesaana would have paced!

"What has, High Mistress?" Sheriam tried carefully when Mesaana did not continue.

"A traitor, that's what!" Mesaana spat.

Sheriam's head shot up as she felt the blood drain from her face. "What? Who?" In her shock, she completely forgot to address the Chosen properly, but Mesaana did not seem to notice.

"Verin Mathwin," she spat.

"Verin," Sheriam breathed. She would never have expected it of her. Then, she wouldn't have expected it of anyone, didn't the Oaths to the Great Lord prevent it? "But how..?"

"Apparently the _coreer_ had planned it all along," Mesaana hissed. "She kept a journal, in code, in which she wrote down everything she could learn about the Black. Names, places, deeds, everything. This afternoon, she drank poison that would kill her within the hour to get around the Oaths, then passed the journal and the key to the code to Egwene al'Vere. And before I could get to her, the Seanchan attacked and in the confusion Egwene has disappeared from the Tower. She was not taken captive, some novices reported seeing her after the Seanchan were beaten off. I expect she is on her way here, might already be here."

Sheriam's mind reeled as she tried to take it all in. So the channeling at the Tower hadn't been a result of the betrayal, hadn't been a battle between the Black and the others. Not that the Seanchan were any better. And a battle between the Black and the other Ajahs would not be long off if this information were to become public. She felt her heart catch in her throat as she tried to think of the implications. Would she have to kill Egwene? She had never yet had to kill, and while Egwene could be extremely annoying the way she prattled on about what had to be done to serve the Light, she wasn't _all_ bad. Sheriam would have liked to serve as Keeper under a strong Amyrlin at any time but now, she did not want to kill the young woman. But she would, if it was the only way to save her own life and the Black Ajah. Or she'd have to flee the camp, but to where? And it wasn't just her, would they all have to flee, all of the Black?

"Fortunately," Mesaana continued, "For all her careful plotting, Verin seems to have overlooked that the Great Lord is also Lord of the Grave. When he discovered she had poisoned herself, he persuaded her to tell why she had done so, and warned me."

Sheriam cringed as she could not even begin to imagine what the Great Lord had done to Verin to make her talk, but then she thought of the repercussions her betrayal would have, and grimaced. The woman deserved everything she got.

"If it hadn't been for those _blasted_ Seanchan, I could have killed Egwene and retrieved the journal," Mesaana finished with a frustrated sigh. "Now, there is no telling who she has told. You will have to gather the Black in the camp and leave."

Not again, Sheriam thought. It would be like Salidar all over, except that now they would be hunted with far more fervor. And she'd thought she was so close to returning to the Tower! She surprised herself by speaking up. "What kind of proof did Verin have, would there be any way to discredit the information she gave?"

"What?" Mesaana's voice said the question surprised her too.

Sheriam winced. It had only been because the Chosen was so obviously out of sorts that she had dared question her order at all. But there came no lash, no pain.

"You said Verin provided more proof than just the names, and of course her.. method of delivery made for a convincing argument. But I've worked closely with Egwene for months, she.. she can't be entirely sure. Now that I am forewarned… if I could stand up to her interrogation, it might make her doubt all the information."

Mesaana frowned as if considering it for a moment, then waved her hand as in dismissal. "Forget it. Even if you could make it through an interrogation, sooner or later you'll be up against the binder, what you call the Oath Rod."

"The Oath Rod?" Sheriam breathed. "We don't have it here at the camp."

What was she thinking? She had never thought of herself as particularly brave, she should be on her way to gather the others already! And yet she was trying to find a way to remain, to fight rather than run.

"Some sisters in the Tower have been using it to seek out the Black, making each other re-swear the Oaths to be sure they can trust one another, then using it on those they suspect," Mesaana said. "They caught Talene that way, she tried to flee the Tower. I had her killed for her carelessness, but not before she told me why she had tried to run. Egwene has been in contact with the searchers, she will know their methods."

"Where is it now?" Sheriam asked. Somehow, impossibly, she had become the one asking the questions, even though she was still on her knees in the small space between her bed and trunk. Then, it was clear that the White Tower was in serious trouble, and Verin had reached Egwene right under Mesaana's nose. How had the Great Lord given Mesaana this warning about the betrayal, anyway? She felt a shudder along her spine.

"I don't know!" Mesaana said, her voice rising. "You haven't seen the Tower after the Seanchan attack, it could be anywhere, in the Tower, with Egwene, under a pile of rubble for all I know! It doesn't matter, it will be found sooner or later, and she will use it to check on everyone in Verin's book, whether it is tomorrow or next week. I can block it of course, but you and the rest of these children here will have to leave."

"It can be blocked?" Sheriam asked, incredulously. "Teach us!"

Mesaana looked at her as if she saw water burn. "A bunch of barely trained children? Have you ever even tried inverted weaves, let alone channeled them in inverted form?"

"Only the first, I did not know they could be channeled that way," Sheriam answered truthfully. "But truly we're not that weak. We Travel, we have Healed Stilling, there are novices and Accepted who are almost as strong as Egwene."

And that means not so far behind you either, she thought, but she didn't say that.

"You never asked where the sleepweavers came from, but one of us made most of those, others have made cuendillar," she continued. "Not everyone may be able to learn, some may have to leave after all, but if there is a chance we should try."

Mesaana stopped her restless movement and frowned, studying Sheriam intently.

"Maybe you are stronger than I thought," she said slowly. "Get up and sit. I will show you."

"Thank you, High Mistress," Sheriam said as she got up from the floor and sat on the edge of her cot.

Mesaana sat down on the trunk across from her. "The binder or Oath Rod can be blocked by a simple ward woven around it, but when done in the presence of others, this needs to be inverted, of course. In my time, it was used to bind criminals but it was always held by a judge as well as by the person who was to be bound, even though courtrooms also had a Ter'angreal that detected inverted weaves. Inverted weaves can be felt when another comes in physical contact with them; remember that always. Now watch closely."

Sheriam watched very closely as Mesaana wove some flows, then channeled the same weaves while inverted, all the time explaining clearly what she did. The Chosen might have hated teaching but she was good at it, and Sheriam had little trouble following the instructions. She wove a flow very similar to a ward, inverted it, then after a few times wove the flows in their inverted form right from the start. Practicing with a candle -one Sheriam had saved in case of emergencies, she could never have dreamed the nature of the emergency- she soon wove the inverted weaves tightly around it.

As she worked, Mesaana regained her composure and as she did, she also took charge again.

"Gather five of the strongest among the Black, those who can learn and can teach others, I will teach them. Not here of course. Watch." Mesaana channeled. For a moment a small hole opened, then she opened a Gateway to a large room with a long table, many chairs and a large hearth. From the weaves, Sheriam could read it was nearby, in Tar Valon.

"Use the Eye when you Travel into any small or crowded room, open it near the ceiling and you can see where to open the Gateway so you don't hit anyone," the Chosen instructed. "This place is the back room of the Ivory Shell, the innkeeper is a Friend of the Dark. Ward any tent before you Travel."

Sheriam made a deep curtsy as she nodded briskly in acknowledgment. "Yes, High Mistress."

Then Mesaana's form shimmered, the black strips of fabric disappeared and she wore another disguise, a tall blonde woman with curly hair pinned back and wearing a deep blue Tairen dress.

"There is no need for them to know who I am," Mesaana said. Then just before she turned and stepped through the Gateway she threw a quick glance around. "If you breathe even one word about…"

"I won't, High Mistress," Sheriam promised.

-0-

She Traveled to Moria's tent, who had managed to keep a tent to herself, albeit one even smaller than Sheriam's. To say the Sitter was shocked was an understatement. Her first reaction was to run, but Sheriam was now determined to stay and fight, and even though Moria stood above her -had recruited her into the Black, as a matter of fact- she instructed the Sitter quickly and saw her off to the Ivory Shell.

Next she saw Dagdara and Larissa, who shared a tent. She was grateful for the foresight that had made those of the Council among the rebels decide to put the Black sisters together as much as possible, even if in many cases they did not know it themselves. None of them could have foreseen this of course, but with the Last Battle so near, they had considered the possibility that they'd have to rouse the Black for one thing or another.

Dagdara was grim and determined even from the first. She browbeat Larissa, who was far more shaken, into shape and they too were off to the inn. Next Sheriam selected Alinya from the Grey and Dawn from the Green, not the strongest in the Power strictly speaking, but relatively high in the Black, quick to learn and used to teaching.

Soon the five Aes Sedai had the weaves down. Mesaana left as soon as the five had woven the inverted weaves correctly. Sheriam had Traveled to a few more tents and now brought others, Margory, Leesa, Cheryl, Tarisha, Irna, Kerryn.

The new arrivals were being taught the inverted weaves by Alinya, Dawn and Larissa, while Sheriam met with Moria and Dagdara on the far end of the room. In spite of her usual position -below Moria and on par with Dagdara- there was no question it was Sheriam who led the meeting.

Their first order of business was to make sure they reached all the Black in the camp. The Black had been structured so that most members did not know more than two others, always geared toward secrecy and to lessen the risk if anyone was caught. But when the Council had agreed the need to rouse the Black was imminent, they had made a few minor changes. For those of low rank in the Black the system of the Hearts was still the same, but most of the higher ranking members knew five now. And there had always been a few in the Black who knew more, of course. Because of her previous position as Mistress of the Novices, she herself knew a good many. She'd sought out those among the novices and Accepted who might make good recruits and passed on their names to those in each Ajah who, like Moria had done with her, would do the actual recruiting. In this manner she knew Alinya, Dawn and Leesa, only the recruiters of the Brown, Yellow and of course the Red had remained with Elaida's faction in the White Tower. She had also kept an eye on those who came to the Tower from families who supported the Great Lord, which was quite common. Friends of the Dark were actively encouraged to send their daughters to the Tower to see if they could learn.

Dagdara supplied a few more names. The knowledge of the Yellow of Healing and the human body could of course be used in different ways as well, and she had instructed many of the Black in weaves that, so to speak, were not included in the regular novice classes. With this, in addition to making the need to know clear to those they knew and warned, Sheriam felt confident they could reach everyone. Some sisters were startled to be seen by the others, and reluctant to give the names of those they knew, but Sheriam quickly put that down. Egwene already knew their names, they were lucky to have several here who were involved in the recruiting and teaching!

A greater problem were those who lacked the strength to weave the flows. While Mesaana's first notion of their abilities to weave inverted flows had been an underestimation, it did take some measure of strength. Sheriam thought there would be seven or eight who definitely would not be able to, and a few more who were borderline. These would have to flee the camp if -when- the Oath Rod was indeed found. No matter how much she wanted to keep the Black sisters here, she would not allow any who could not easily invert the flows to remain; it would only take one sister to fumble the inverted weaves for Egwene and all others to catch on. And since these Aes Sedai also lacked the strength to weave a Gateway, they could not go alone. Sheriam looked thoughtfully at the sisters at the other end of the room.

"Leesa," she said. "And perhaps Kerryn too."

Moria nodded agreement.

Sheriam called them over and explained. Leesa, who was a White, immediately agreed. Kerryn, a Green, seemed almost disappointed she would have to leave. Sheriam understood how she felt but even so ignored her protests, it was needed and that was that.

"It will look better if one or two not of the Black were to disappear also," Dagdara remarked. "That would discredit the list even further."

Sheriam frowned. She did not like killing, these were still Aes Sedai they were talking about. But if the roles were reversed, they would be executed. She nodded. "Captured and stilled if possible -that will be enough to hold them even by those who are weak in the Power- but if the risk is too great.."

Nods all around. Then Moria reached into her belt pouch. "I wonder if an angreal can be used with inverted weaves without being detected. If so, one of the weaker sisters could remain. That would make the connection between those who flee the camp and their strength more difficult to make."

Sheriam looked at the small bone fish with a bit of jealousy. Many sisters had angreal or ter'angreal of their own, of course, and she'd had three of them. Over the years, she had received more than a few from the novices who came to Tar Valon and not always handed them in, thus collecting an angreal of quite decent strength and a couple other useful little items. But she'd had to leave them behind when she fled the Tower. As she took the fish and gauged its strength, she wondered if the secret little cubbyhole where she had kept hers had been found or if the items would still be waiting for her. If only they'd had some angreal at the camp, she could've taken one last night, along with the sleepweavers. But in spite of their many discoveries and Elayne's successes at duplicating the ter'angreal, they had no angreal here. Not officially, that was.

She pulled herself back to the task at hand, and channeled the inverted weaves through the angreal. It turned out to be a little tricky; you had to start inverting the flows even as you reached for Saidar, otherwise a surge in the Power could be felt. But it could be done by someone quick enough.

"Fiona," she suggested.

The young Brown was very quick, you never had to show her any weave twice -as long as it didn't take more than a trickle of pure strength, for that she just did not have. But using an angreal, she would have no difficulty with the inverted weaves. The others nodded.

There was more to be done, more sisters of the Black to be contacted, carefully since not all shared their tent with other Black, a place for those who would flee and a way to give the signal for them to go. They would not leave until the Oath Rod was actually found, while Mesaana seemed pretty sure it would be discovered and clearly did not think it likely she or the Black within the White Tower itself would find it, there was still a chance. Until it was found the weaker Black would not leave the camp, their absence would only raise eyebrows.

It was a long night, but before dawn everything was arranged. Dagdara and the other Yellows channeled away the tiredness of those who had been up all night, and Sheriam was even able to get about half an hour of rest in, although she was too tense to actually fall asleep, before an Accepted came with the news that the Amyrlin had returned to the camp.

-0-

Sheriam dressed quickly, then took a deep breath before she stepped out of her tent. It was not hard to act as if she was glad of Egwene's return. If it hadn't been for Verin, she would have been genuinely relieved, no matter how exasperatingly moralistic Egwene could be. The Hall had often been difficult with the Amyrlin missing. She greeted Egwene heartedly.

Egwene also acted pleasantly enough on the surface, but Sheriam noticed the furtive way the Amyrlin seemed to avoid meeting her eye, and perhaps a twitch of nervousness. It really was true, Sheriam realized, she did know! Egwene could be hard, so much harder than anyone had expected when they summoned her and raised her to the Amyrlin Seat, but she still had less experience at deception.

"Find the Sitters, Sheriam," Egwene instructed her. "Tell them the Hall will meet immediately after Breakfast. Then send word around to all Aes Sedai they have to stay in the camp, there will be announcements made later on today that affect everyone."

She nodded and quickly went, making her rounds of the Sitter's tents, then got herself a good meal. Refreshing did not make as hungry as Healing, but it did sap the strength of the body in an even more dangerous way, unfelt so one would not notice until starved or exhausted to the point of death.

She knew Dagdara, Leesa and the rest would be contacting those who shared their tent with non-Black sisters and couldn't be reached tonight, and she had to trust them to do the job. She did not doubt that because of her position, she would be under closer scrutiny than any of the others, so she could not risk taking part in the last preparations herself. And indeed, as she returned to the tent where the Hall met, she noticed Siuan in the shadow of the oak near the Hall's pavilion, watching her.

Ignoring the Blue, she pulled the flaps of the pavilion shut as soon as all the Sitters were present. Since all Ajah's had sent one of their Sitters to the Black Tower, there were only twelve Sitters left, rather than the usual eighteen.

Kwamesa wove the ward against eavesdropping as Sheriam took her seat to the side. Egwene did not look at her directly, but had thrown her another of those furtive glances when she had come in. The confrontation could not be far off.

As prepared as she was, she still started when Egwene embraced the Source. She almost grasped it herself, as in a reflex, could just stop herself in time. Several of the Sitters did in fact grab hold of the Power, not Moria but Kwamesa, Naorisa, Berana, even Romanda and Lelaine.

"There will be no need for that. Not yet. Please release the Source," Egwene said.

Slowly, hesitantly, one by one the Sitters released the power. Egwene herself did not.

"I am very glad to see that you returned safely, Mother," Lelaine said.

Like hell she was, Sheriam thought. Sometimes it was amazing what even those bound by the Oaths could get away with. It must be the 'safely' that made her capable of saying such a thing, but even then it was a stretch.

"Thank you," Egwene said, ignoring the questionable validity of Lelaine's statement.

"You said that there were important revelations to make," Varilin said. "Is this regarding the Seanchan attack?"

Instead of replying, Egwene reached into a pouch and pulled out the smooth, white rod. Sheriam did not need to see the number three inscribed in the ancient script, would have recognized the Oath Rod at first glance even if she had not had warning. Now, even with that warning, she felt her heart catch in her throat for a moment. She was not the only one; several of the Sitters gasped audibly at the sight of the rod.

Without any further ado, Egwene channeled Spirit into the rod.

"I vow that I will speak no word that is not true. I vow that I will make no weapon for one man to kill another. I vow that I will never use the One Power as a weapon except against Darkfriends and Shadowspawn, or in the last extreme of defending my life, or that of my Warder, or that of another sister."

The Hall was silent. Sheriam frowned slightly. In the confusion of last night she had not even realized that the test with the Oath Rod also meant Egwene would now be bound by the Three Oaths. Not that she would rely completely on her words, Lelaine had just demonstrated how insincere one could be by adding just a single word to a statement. But she would keep it in mind.

"Let it no longer be thought that I can avoid keeping the Three Oaths," Egwene announced. "Let it no longer be breathed that I am not fully Aes Sedai."

None of the Sitters responded, all waited what would come next.

"And now that you've seen me use the Oath Rod and know that I cannot lie, I will tell you something. During my stay in the Tower, a sister came to me and confided that she was Black Ajah."

Sheriam gasped along with the others, pretending to be shocked.

"Yes," Egwene continued. "I know we don't like to speak of them, but can any of us honestly claim that the Black Ajah does not exist? Can you hold to the oaths while saying that you have never considered the possibility -even the likelihood- of there being Darkfriends among us?"

There came no reply.

"Yes," Egwene said. "It is shameful, but it is a truth that we, as the leaders of our people, must admit. Not in public, but among ourselves there is no avoiding it. I have seen firsthand what distrust and quiet politicking can do to a people. I will not see the same disease infect us here."

That's what you say, and you believe it or you would not be able to say it, Sheriam thought quietly. But you took Verin's word for it when it came to me, while we have worked closely together for several months. That Verin was right is beside the point, the distrust has infected you.

"We are of different Ajahs, but we are single in purpose," Egwene continued. "We need to know that we can trust one another implicitly, because there is very little else in this world that can be trusted."

Egwene looked down at the Oath Rod, rubbed it with her thumb. After a few moments she looked up. "I am not a Darkfriend," she announced. "And you know it cannot be a lie."

Again, no one responded verbally, but several of the Sitters looked perplexed.

"It is time for us to prove ourselves," Egwene said. "Some clever women in the White Tower hit upon this idea, and I intend to expand it. We will each in turn use the Oath Rod to release ourselves from the Three Oaths, then re-swear them in turn. Once we are all bound, we will be able to promise that we are not servants of the Dark."

Now, finally, Egwene was looking directly at her, watching for her reaction more than that of any of the others. It was only with great effort Sheriam managed to appear calm. She wanted to grab the Oath Rod and get it over with, but being too eager to submit to such a procedure would be suspicious in itself. Perhaps suspicious enough to make Egwene doubt the value of the test.

"Are you sure this is necessary?" she asked instead, looking Egwene directly in the eye.

Egwene's dark brown eyes bored into hers. "Very much so," she said. "Why? There is no reason not to prove yourself, unless…" She paused. "Are you Black Ajah, Sheriam?"

"Of course not!" Sheriam snapped, straightening in her chair with a startled jerk and sounding indignant.

"Do you consort with the Forsaken?"

"No!"

Several of the Sitters gasped, even started to protest as they did not understand the sudden persistent interrogation, but for all the attention Egwene paid them, it could have been just the two of them in the tent, and Sheriam could not allow herself to be distracted either.

"Do you serve the Dark One?" Egwene pressed on.

"No!"

"Have you been released from your Oaths?"

"No!"

"Do you have red hair?"

"N-Eh? _Yes_, of course, and what does _that_ have to do with anything?"

Nasty, very nasty. If she hadn't been ready for a trick of some kind, that one might've tripped her up, Egwene had fired off those last questions so quickly. The value of the test was questionable; the Oath Rod only stopped one from speaking a lie if one knew it was. If she truly had been under so much pressure she had no longer heard what Egwene was really asking, then she could have claimed she was just screaming 'no, no, no' to all of those ridiculous accusations without actually listening to each individual question, and any sister who had studied the Oath Rod would have to admit that such a thing was possible. But it would have been awkward at the very least.

Instead she'd made it seem just as if the Oaths had stopped her. Egwene frowned and Sheriam knew she had passed the first test. Time for the second part. She got up, took two steps to stand directly in front of Egwene and held out her hand.

"Fine, so be it. Give me the blasted thing."

Egwene handed her the Oath Rod, still frowning. Sheriam clenched it in her fist, knuckles turning white. Nerves or anger, it would look the same to those watching.

She turned so she stood next to Egwene, in front of the Hall, so all could see her clearly. She went through the motions of releasing the Oaths, flinching as she did so. Of course nothing really happened, not this time, but she remembered the way it felt from all those years ago. Then she channeled the inverted weaves Mesaana had shown her, blocking the effect of the rod, praying it would work. Of course, they hadn't had the real Oath Rod to practice on last night. She felt nothing as she swore the Three Oaths, no tightening of the skin. "I am not Black Ajah," she finished, the lie coming as easily as ever.

For a long while, no one spoke or moved. The silence hung thick in the tent, as if everyone had even stopped breathing. Then Egwene spoke, her confidence gone. And there was relief in her voice, or was that wishful thinking?

"Light, Sheriam, I am sorry. The one who came to me, she seemed so sure."

"Who was she?" Sheriam snapped, her anger very real even though she already knew the name.

Egwene hesitated.

"I have the right to know," Sheriam said forcefully. "Who accused me? How did she pass this information on to you? What did she do or say to convince you?" Egwene wasn't the only one who could fire off rapid questions.

"Verin," Egwene replied. "Verin Mathwin. She came to me in my cell in the Tower, drinking poison to get around her Oath to the Dark One that prevented her from betraying him until the hour of her death. She gave me a journal listing the names of the… of those she claimed to be Black Ajah."

Now Egwene was held by the Oath Rod and she could no longer speak what she believed to be incorrect. Sheriam knew she had won the first battle. But they weren't there yet. The test with the Oath Rod of the others wouldn't be called off, especially not if Egwene trusted the results. And it would only take one of the Black to fumble the complex inverted weaves for everyone to realise that Verin had been right after all.

"Verin," Sheriam hissed between her teeth, expressing her anger, but not now asking anything else. The Sitters were recovering from their shock, and it was better if some questions were asked by others. Verin's name was echo'd by several, of course, but others did as she had expected and asked the questions that needed to be asked.

"Who else was named?" Romanda wanted to know.

"Where is this journal?" Kwamesa asked.

Egwene hesitated. "I have the journal hidden in a safe place. Verin named many, over two hundred, some from each Ajah, even some in the Hall. But if Verin was not correct… then perhaps it is better if I do not name any others."

"Over two hundred? Impossible!" Good, if Lelaine brought that up, then neither she nor Moria had to.

"Some of _us_?" Escaralde flared up, and her outburst was echo'd by several of the others as well. Outbursts accompanied by quick glances left and right.

"But why would she do this? Why kill herself if the information she provided was all false?" Janya asked, then started as she glanced at Sheriam. "Not that I don't believe you, I saw you swear on the Oath Rod," she added quickly. "But it just doesn't make any sense!"

"Doesn't it?" Sheriam asked sharply. "We have all wondered about the crazy things done in the White Tower, setting up the Ajah's against each other, trying to split everyone apart, the very things the Amyrlin just referred to. This would create just as much distrust in our camp, even more. You should have seen the looks you gave each other just now!"

"Some of the names were real," Egwene said pensively. "Temaile and Chesmal and Jeaine and Delana…And some of the information about the crimes of the Black was quite detailed."

"Since they are exposed already, it would not hurt the Black to put them on the list." Bless you Saroiya for your White Ajah logic! Sheriam thought.

"Verin undoubtedly knew enough about me and many others to make up a convincing story," she remarked when no one else did.

Several Sitters nodded. Verin had always been good at finding out those things you didn't really intend to tell, even to another Black. Sheriam didn't doubt she had done so with almost all Aes Sedai, in her attempts to gather information. But she'd also had a strong, creative mind, certainly she could have twisted the facts into convincing fiction if she had chosen to do so.

"Before we continue, the rest of us should take the test with the Oath Rod," Romanda said. "While I like to think Verin was misleading in _all_ her writings except for those exposed already, and there certainly can not be as many of the Black as she claimed," she glanced at Lelaine, unhappy to admit that she agreed with her even on this. "We should make sure we can trust one another."

Nods all around. Egwene handed the Oath Rod to Romanda and one by one the Sitters went through the motions. Releasing the Oaths and re-taking them. Sheriam watched closely as it was Moria's turn, but even knowing what she knew, she saw nothing out of sorts.

Finally Kwamesa, the last, re-swore the oaths and handed the Oath Rod back to Egwene. A collective sigh went through the Sitters as the tension in the pavilion lessened just a bit.

Egwene glanced down at the rod for a moment, then looked up.

"I am very glad Verin was proven wrong this far at least," she said. This time there was no mistaking the relief in her voice, and Sheriam could not help but feel a stab of guilt at the scale on which she was deceiving the woman. But there was no helping it, it was a matter of survival now.

"Even so, I do not dare believe that there are no Black Ajah among us at all. We can now be confident in one another. From now on, we continue as one. No more squabbling. No more fighting. We each have the best interests of the White Tower -and the world itself- at heart. We will make sure of the others, test each and every sister in the camp."

Sheriam nodded agreement along with the Sitters.

"You have a plan for this," Takima stated.

Egwene nodded. "First, we will claim we have important news for every sister, but that it should not be overheard by the soldiers or others in the camp. We will call them into this pavilion by Ajah, it is big enough to hold about two hundred people. When each Ajah enters, I will repeat to them what I told you, and tell them they each will have to re-swear on the Oath Rod. Now I can not trust the list of names, we will have to watch very closely and be ready to seize any who attempt to escape. We will hold any we find in the audience tent, until all Ajahs have had their turn."

"We will have to be careful of the Warders, too," Lelaine said. "Some may be Darkfriends, and even those who are not may chose to defend their sister."

"We will make them come in with the sisters," Egwene nodded. "It is an additional risk, more people to watch, but it is better than to leave them outside where they might feel what is happening and raise an alarm."

Sheriam noted with satisfaction that Egwene had not considered Arinvar when she had challenged her. The bond was not telepathic, only empathic, but if she'd had no warning at all… the shock might have been great enough to make Arinvar realize something truly serious had happened. Not that he knew more than one or two of the Black by name, he was a Friend of the Dark but as most Warders, he only served her. Still he might have raised warning, and such a flaw in Egwene's original plan was interesting to note.

"Light, what a mess," Romanda muttered.

"It must be done," Berana remarked

"And it must be done quickly, so none get a chance to escape," Egwene said. "Lord Bryne has a ring of soldiers and archers around the camp, and we will send sisters to support them as we clear them in here. But it will be hard for them to stop any, especially before we clear the first Ajah, and of course those who can Travel may escape from anywhere within the camp."

"We must not let it come to that," Lelaine said. "A battle within the camp…?"

"I think we will be able to prevent that. I mean to begin an assault on Tar Valon by this evening. Pass the word to Lord Bryne to prepare his men. The news will serve to distract the Black, anyone who wonders will think the gathering has to do with that rather than a purge of the Black sisters."

So soon! Of course it did make sense, both as a diversion and in a more general way coming right on top of the Seanchan attack. She wondered whether Mesaana had taught the sisters in the White Tower the warding of the Oath Rod as well. If not, there could still be a problem. Well, first things first, those in the camp had become her responsibility, those in the White Tower were not.

"It must be done," Romanda said. "I put forth a motion before the Hall to take the action the Amyrlin has suggested."

One by one the Sitters rose to give consensus, unanimously.

"The White first," Egwene said. "They have the fewest here in the camp. Gather them."

Belana and Saroiya nodded and went out. Sheriam stood and walked after them as far as the opening of the tent, pushing the flap aside and looking out. She stood for a long moment as if in contemplation, but did not leave. That was the signal they had agreed on the previous night -she would show herself to let the others know she was still free, but she nor Moria would leave the pavilion as of yet, if Egwene did indeed have the Oath Rod. That way, it would be hard for anyone to claim either of them warned those who would now have to flee. Nor did Sheriam see anyone run off, but they'd agreed on a triple watch, not leaving anything to chance. The weaker sisters should be out of the camp within minutes, already gathered in secret and ready to Travel with Leesa, while Kerryn with her two Warders would take care of at least one, two if possible, stronger non-Black sisters as a decoy. She dropped the flap and went back inside.

"I will keep tally of those who enter," she offered, taking a piece of parchment and a quill pen from the small writing table that stood against the wall, ready for when it was needed. The Sitters spread out along the sides of the tent, some casually and others, Sheriam thought, much too obvious in taking up positions that would surround the Whites. Not that it would matter, as long as no one fouled up the weaves.

Soon the White sisters started to come in, and Sheriam wrote down each name. It was not long before almost all the Whites were present, save of course for Leesa and Mariyanna. Several minutes after the last White sister had arrived, and some of the first arrivals already started to get impatient, Belana and Saroiya came in.

"We can't find Leesa or Mariyanna," Belana said. "Of course they may have missed the order to remain at hand, no one has seen Mariyanna since last night. But Leesa was seen at breakfast, she should have heard the announcement."

Egwene looked grim. "We will start without them, they can listen in with one of the other Ajahs if they are found."

She started her explanation to a chorus of gasps and a few perfunctory protests, but no one put up great resistance. One by one the White sisters re-swore, the four remaining Black sisters taking their turn without visible hesitation.

Several Whites remained, others were sent out to join Lord Bryne's men on the perimeter. The Grey was gathered next, and Sheriam was secretly glad when Annisha turned up missing. They had not agreed to take any specific sisters as their decoys, rather leaving it up to Kerryn to take any strong sister without a Warder she happened to catch alone, but it was very convenient it turned out to be a sister of the second Ajah already. None of the Sitters knew the list of names, but Egwene frowned when Annisha's absence was reported, along with Oriannin's.

The Yellow did not have anyone missing. It was not a logical choice for those weak in the Power, as many of the Healing weaves required more than a trickle of Saidar to be effective. It did not even matter much that the Brown, next, had four missing members, especially not since Fiona, one of the weakest, swore on the Oath Rod just as easily as any of the stronger sisters had done. The Blues were next, and here Maigan was absent. Very good, one of the stronger Blues and one of Egwene's trusted group. That would make Egwene doubt her source! The Green, taken last, only missed one sister in addition to Kerryn. Again, not an Ajah that was a sensible choice for those very weak in the Power.

As each Ajah was gathered and each Ajah, except for the Yellow, missed a few of their number, Egwene got more grim. Finally the last sisters left the tent and only the Sitters remained.

"Thirteen. Thirteen Black in the camp and somehow all managed to escape. The Light knows how." Egwene hit the armrest of her chair, clearly livid.

"They must know a way to eavesdrop through the ward," Berana said, frownng. "It's the only way, there simply wasn't time for them to run after we went to gather them, especially not for Leesa and Mariyanna."

Nods of agreement all around.

"From now on, we will weave double wards for any meeting, and we will hold them rather than tie them off. And I will set some to work on a way to detect eavesdropping But first the Tower," Egwene said.

"Is it prudent to go ahead now we know our meeting was eavesdropped on?" Varilin asked.

"I hope the warning did not reach the White Tower, but even if it did, there is still last night's attack of the Seanchan, there will be no better time to make our move," Egwene decided.

And so it was done.


	4. The Tower whole again

**The Tower whole again.**

The afternoon was spent in preparation for battle. Sheriam concerned herself completely with her Keeper's duties, preparing reports for Egwene about what had been done in her absence that were as clear and honest as any had been. As soon as they were alone in the Amyrlin's tent, Egwene looked at her, the anger at the escaped sisters for a moment replaced by regret.

"I hope you can forgive me for what I did. I should not have relied on Verin's information, especially not after she admitted being one of the Black."

Indeed, you shouldn't have, Sheriam thought acidly. Strange how it stung that Egwene had taken the word of a self-proclaimed Black concerning her, even if it was true. But she said curtly, "It is Verin who is to blame."

Egwene shook her head. "I still don't truly understand her motives or methods -some of those thirteen were on her list, but others were not. Once the Tower is secured, I will get to the bottom of this," she promised.

Wonderful. Of course it was to be expected, she and the other Black would just have to thwart that effort. "Thank you," Sheriam said aloud, not bothering to hide all of the irritation in her voice. It would simply seem to be directed at Verin and Egwene's accusation. She switched smoothly to the reports she carried.

"There is no report from the sisters sent to the Black Tower," she started out. "No message, no contact at all. They should have long been back, or at least sent word."

That was something that genuinely worried her too. To the best of her knowledge, there were no Black sisters among the delegation, but it was worrying enough to deal with the Black Tower, hundreds of men who could channel, who now had bonded Aes Sedai, who knew what else they would be up to. But there was no news, not a whisper.

Egwene looked grim at the report. There was one bright point; several of the delegates had been those close to Egwene. Nisao, Theodrin and Faolain were all out of her hair for the time being. But Myrelle had been part of her group in Salidar, not a Black but someone she could work with where other Tower business was concerned.

"The number of novices continues to grow," she reported next. "While we have not moved recently, word has spread we are taking women of any age, and more keep arriving every day. I must say, Tiana is having trouble dealing with some of them. She can handle the sheer numbers but she is having a hard time with some of the older ones, especially those of greater strength."

"Have Tiana come see me," Egwene said, looking thoughtful.

"Yes, Mother," Sheriam acknowledged. Then she continued with the financial reports. It was a good thing they were making their move tonight, funds and supplies alike were running low. Now that the Tower had Traveling, it would actually be at an advantage in the long run, its vast coffers supplying wealth far longer than their rebel group could.

She went and found Tiana, then saw to it that Arinvar would have Wing saddled for her. Twice she noticed Siuan, watching her from some distance but with quiet intent. Damn the woman, Egwene might trust the Oath Rod but Siuan clearly did not.

The afternoon went on, tension high in the camp. Outrage reigned over the escape of the thirteen -thirteen!- Black sisters, and novices, Accepted and servants ran as they went about their lessons and chores. The Aes Sedai stood amongst it all, scowling darkly as they oversaw the preparations to leave.

Most of the Aes Sedai would not come with the assault force, Egwene had decided they would remain in the camp and only be available for Healing, or to be called if Elaida was the first to use the One Power in the coming battle. The Oaths prevented them from taking part in the attack outright, and Egwene stated she would not have them put sisters or Warders in danger so they could use Saidar. Sheriam had listened to the orders hiding her contempt -it was another example of how restrictive the Oaths were, and of how little experience Egwene had in skirting them. There were still ways the Power could be used, to shield their forces from arrows, to wrap the White Tower's soldiers in pockets of Air… It was stupid not to use the Power when you had it, and there would be higher losses among Lord Bryne's men because of it. But she did not argue, choosing to save any credit she had built up with Egwene's false -or so she thought- accusation for a later time, when she might need it for the Black.

She was also less than pleased with Egwene's choice of dress. Egwene insisted on wearing red, to symbolize the Red Ajah, and to make it clear that she would be Amyrlin of all Ajahs once they had re-taken the Tower. Less forgiving, Sheriam would greatly prefer the Red Ajah be disbanded or at least disgraced. She had protested this choice, just briefly, but Egwene had woven her concerns away. And sent her to find the blasted dress, too! She'd quickly delegated that task to Ashmanaille, who had more clothes than anyone else in the camp and always noticed exactly what anyone else was wearing. It had still been an effort to find the crimson dress, even the servants knew red was not held in favor in the camp and rarely if ever wore any shade of the color.

Sheriam walked with Egwene through the camp as Lelaine approached the Amyrlin and curtsied.

"Mother," she said. "Bryne sends word that all is ready for the assault. He says the western bridges would be the ideal point of attack, though he suggests that gateways be employed to send a flanking force of his men behind the White Tower lines. He asks if this would be possible."

Egwene considered a moment. "Tell him I will make the gateway myself."

At least one sensible decision!

"Excellent, Mother," Lelaine said, bowing her head before she fell into step beside Egwene. It was amazing how the woman's attitude had changed now that they were on their way to re-take the Tower. Suddenly she was trying hard to get into Egwene's favor, always vying for a more important position. The only reason the woman wasn't a Black was because she was too ambitious, too extreme in her desires and too obvious in her attempts to better her own position. Moria had once told her Lelaine had dropped hints in the past about being less-than-picky of the methods by which she reached her goals, clear hints, and that was exactly why Moria had feigned ignorance and refused to recruit her.

Sheriam could not help but wonder if something similar played with Romanda, although the Yellow was just a tad more subtle than Lelaine. The Sitter was waiting beside the road ahead, dressed in yellow as usual, hair in a tight bun. She curtsied to Egwene and barely glanced at either Lelaine or Sheriam before taking position on the other side of the Amyrlin.

"There is no sign of any of those missing. Mariyanna and Raisa weren't seen since last night but it is unlikely they simply went on some errand of their own. They would have had no reason to, and their horses are still here."

"And of course it would have been thirteen," Egwene said angrily. "Anything from the residues?"

"There was a gateway woven in Leesa's tent this morning, it could still be read but it led only to a shed in the country, not too far from here. There they found a mass of weaves, perhaps a dozen or more gateways woven on top of each other, or in quick succession more likely. It made them impossible to read. In Kerryn's tent there were also signs of Travel, but those had dissipated too far."

Excellent, Leesa had been careful. Sheriam was glad to hear the sister had taken precautions against being followed, she had been a good choice indeed. There were of course the many gateways within the camp and to the Ivory Shell but those were hours older, and would be unreadable by now, as the ones in Kerryn's tent had been. Also it was impossible to check out every tent in the camp, reading residue was hard work and there was just too much channeling going on at all times. Whether Kerryn had used the same trick Leesa had or not, her gateway from this morning would probably never been found.

"We will send out a list of their names and descriptions to Caemlyn, Cairhien and all allies, although they are likely sensible enough to flee to some area where the White Tower has little or no contacts. Perhaps even to the South and the Seanchan; Liandrin at least had accomplices among them."

It was hard to hide her smugness, the South and the Seanchan! Leesa and her group should now be safely installed on a farm in Kandor, well away from any city or larger town where news of the Black might be spread, and in quite the opposite direction.

While Romanda gave her report they had reached the edge of the camp, where their horses awaited them, as well as a large group of soldiers and one Sitter from each Ajah. They mounted and rode out, through the soldiers' camp, which stood almost empty, tents deserted and grass trampled by boots and hooves.

As they left that camp also, the glow of Saidar sprang up around Egwene. Again she showed at least some sense, to trust the soldiers to protect them completely would be folly.

They rode up to the battle lines outside the village of Darein. The houses stood empty as the villagers had been evacuated to a safer place, and the village was deserted apart of course from its main thoroughfare, which was lined with Lord Bryne's soldiers. Beyond that Tar Valon and the White Tower could be seen, a wide field of smoke still trailing up from its center. Even from this distance the damage to the White Tower was obvious, dark scorched holes in the bright white walls. The Tower must be in a terrible state, for it to still smolder almost a full day after the Seanchan attack!

Lord Bryne waited for Egwene at the back of the army, Siuan beside him. Strictly speaking the Blue should have remained with the other Aes Sedai in the camp, but the woman always made herself an exception. Siuan made a horseback curtsy as Egwene approached, and Lord Bryne saluted. And they were riding very close together. Sheriam looked at Lord Bryne again, noticed the subtle change even as Egwene spoke.

"You've taken another Warder, at last?"

Siuan narrowed her eyes. "Aye."

"Do your best to keep her out of trouble, General," Egwene addressed Bryne even though she still looked at Siuan. "She has been in quite a bit of it lately. I have half a mind to give her to you to use as a foot soldier, I believe the military organization might be good for her, and remind her that sometimes obedience overrides initiative."

Siuan looked away.

"I haven't decided what to do with you yet, Siuan," Egwene continued in a softer voice. "But my anger has been kindled. And my trust has been lost. You will need to soothe the first and stoke the second if you wish to enter my confidence again."

She turned from Siuan to Lord Bryne, who looked decidedly uncomfortable even though he was not the one addressed. He would feel every bit of shame and discomfort Siuan felt.

"You are to be commended for your bravery, letting her bond you, General," Egwene said. "I realize that keeping her from trouble is a nearly impossible charge, but I have confidence in you."

Bryne relaxed. "I shall do my best, Mother." He turned his horse, looking along the line of soldiers. "There is something you should see. If you will?"

Egwene nodded, turning her horse and riding beside him down the roadway. Sheriam followed, and to her annoyance, so did Siuan. And Gawyn, but she did not mind that. Romanda and Lelaine stayed back at a wave of Egwene's hand, but why didn't she make Siuan stay behind as well? Any satisfaction Sheriam might have gotten from the dressing-down of Siuan was overshadowed by the irritating discovery that the woman had taken a Warder. And Lord Bryne of all people, someone who could not easily be made to disappear. This could be a serious complication if -when- the time came the woman could no longer be held off. That Egwene claimed her trust in Siuan had been broken was only of little help, as Siuan's continued presence showed.

Bryne led Egwene to the front lines, and Egwene prepared a weave of Air, shielding their little group from any arrows or other projectiles. Did the blasted woman truly not realize that they could have done the same for a good portion of the army if only she'd allow the Aes Sedai to take part?

The cobbles on the roadway gave way to large paving blocks as they passed through Darein, and those gave way to marble squares leading into the Alindaer Bridge, the large, white span crossing the river to Tar Valon. Here was the thing Lord Bryne had taken them to see: Gathered on the other side of the bridge, bunkered behind a blockade of stones and large logs, was a force of the Tower Guard, Flame of Tar Valon on their tabards. And there could not be more than a thousand of them.

Bryne's assault force here was ten thousand strong.

"Now, I know it was never numbers that were keeping us from attacking," Bryne said. "But the Tower Guard should be able to field more men than that, particularly with conscriptions out of the city proper. I doubt they've been spending these months carving pegs by the fire and reminiscing about old times. If Chubain has half a mind, he's been training a new set of recruits."

"So where is everyone?" Egwene asked.

"Light only knows, Mother," Bryne said, shaking his head. "We'll lose some men getting past that force, but not many. It will be a rout."

"Could the Seanchan have really hurt them _that_ much?"

"I don't know, Mother," Lord Bryne said. "It was bad last night. A lot of fire, a lot of men dead. But I'd have pegged the cost at hundreds, not thousands. Perhaps the Tower Guard is clearing out rubble and stopping the fires, but I still think they'd have gathered a larger force when they saw me forming up here. I've taken a spyglass to those lads over there, and I've noted more than one set of bleary red eyes."

Egwene sat silent for a few long moments. "You haven't questioned the wisdom of this assault, General."

"It's not my habit to question where I'm pointed, Mother," Lord Bryne replied.

"And your thoughts on the matter, if asked?"

"If asked?" Lord Bryne said. "Well, attacking makes tactical sense. We've lost Traveling as an edge, and if our enemy can resupply at will and send envoys in and out whenever they want, then what's the purpose of a siege? It's time to either attack or pack up and leave."

Egwene nodded slowly. Sheriam frowned, puzzled. Surely Egwene would not get second thoughts now?

"How long can we wait before you absolutely _must_ begin this assault, General?" Egwene asked.

Lord Bryne frowned, then looked at the sky. "It is getting late. An hour, perhaps? After that, it will be too dark. With numbers this favorable, I'd rather not add the randomness of a night battle into the mix."

"We will wait, then, for an hour," Egwene decided.

Sheriam was confused, saw the confusion echoed on the faces of Siuan, Gawyn and Lord Bryne himself. But no one questioned the Amyrlin, she least of all. It was one more hour for the Black in the Tower to prepare. The more she saw of the damage, the smoke so long after the battle, the small and nervous-looking force on the opposite side of the bridge, the less sure she felt that the Black in the Tower would have been able to get organized like they had at the camp.

The hour passed. Egwene waited a few minutes longer, what _was_ she waiting for? She just sat her horse, staring at the soldiers on the other side of the bridge. Finally she turned.

"Here now," Lord Bryne said as he leaned forward in the saddle. "What is this?"

Egwene turned back to the bridge and Sheriam strained to look. Distantly, a procession was coming down the road from the direction of the White Tower. Reinforcements? No, it was only a small group. A small group of women. Aes Sedai!

Egwene raised her hand, staying any attacks by Bryne's men. The procession rode up directly to the Tower Guard barricade. A moment later, one figure stepped out in front of the road block, accompanied by a single Warder. Sheriam had to strain her eyes, even though she held the Power, but then she recognized Andaya, as much by her thin stature and her grey dress as by her features, which she could not make out at this distance. She made to tell Egwene but Lord Bryne had given her a spyglass and Sheriam could see she had also recognized the Grey.

The glow of the Power surrounded Andaya, and Siuan hissed, causing several soldiers to raise their bows. As if Egwene could not see it for herself! Egwene raised her hand again.

"Bryne, I will _not_ have the first shot fired until I give permission," she said forcefully.

"Stand down, men!" Lord Bryne bellowed. "I'll have your hides if you so much as nock an arrow!" Well disciplined, the soldiers immediately lowered their bows.

Andaya wove the weaves to make her voice carry. "We would speak with Egwene al'Vere," Andaya said, easily audible now in spite of the distance. "Is she in attendance?"

Egwene wove her own flows to amplify her voice. "I am here, Andaya. Tell the others with you to come out and show themselves."

So they did. Nine more women clambered over the barricade, standing next to Andaya. Egwene studied them through the eyeglass. "Ten Sitters," she said. "Two from each Ajah, except the Blue and the Red."

Two of each Ajah, no Reds. Velina was there, and Sedore, but not Evanellein and not Duhara.

"That's promising," Bryne said.

"Well, they could be here to demand my surrender," Egwene replied. She wove the flows of Saidar again. "Alright, what do you wish of me?"

"We have come," Andaya seemed to hesitate for just a moment before replying. "We have come to inform you that the Hall of the White Tower has chosen to raise you to the Amyrlin Seat."

Sheriam gave a surprised gasp, which was echoed by Siuan, and Bryne cursed quietly to himself. Several soldiers muttered about traps and one said something about never trusting an Aes Sedai, forgetting for the moment his own present company.

Egwene stood silent for a moment, then replied. "What of Elaida? she demanded. "Have you deposed yet another Amyrlin?"

Now the other side was quiet for a moment, the Sitters moving closely together.

"They're conferring," Lord Bryne said, looking through his spyglass.

"Elaida do Avriny a Roihan, Watcher of the Seals, the Flame of Tar Valon, the Amyrlin Seat… was taken in the raid last night. Her whereabouts are unknown. She is presumed dead or otherwise unable to fulfill her duties."

"Good," Sheriam let out, surprised and more than a little pleased.

"By the Light!" Lord Bryne lowered his spyglass.

"No more than she deserved," Siuan muttered.

"No one deserves that," Egwene said, briefly turning to them, taking her eyes off the Sitters. She raised her hand to her neck. "Better she had died."

Sheriam snorted quietly.

"This could be a trap," Bryne said.

"I don't see how," Siuan said. "Even though Andaya is the only one who has spoken, she must be telling the truth. The other Sitters would not back a Black."

Egwene shook her head. "No, they wouldn't. They backed Elaida but a Black? I can not believe that."

"I am still hesitant, Mother," Lord Bryne said.

Egwene restored her weave. "You will let my army enter? You will accept the other Aes Sedai back in fellowship and will reinstate the Blue Ajah?"

"We anticipated these demands," Andaya said. "They will be met."

There was silence, only the sound of the waters lapping under the bridge and the scrape of a horse impatient with the wait.

"Then I accept," Egwene said across the bridge.

"Mother, this might be rash," Siuan said cautiously. "Perhaps you should speak with…"

Egwene interrupted her. "It is not rash. It is what we've wanted." She eyed Siuan. "Besides, who are you to lecture me on being rash?"

Siuan looked down.

"General, prepare your men to cross, and bring the Sitters at the back forward. Send runners back to the Aes Sedai camp with the news, and make certain your men at the other bridges know to stand down."

"Yes, Mother," Bryne wheeled his horse about and gave the necessary orders.

Egwene kicked her horse and started to ride across the bridge. Sheriam followed, and after just a moment Siuan muttered one of her fish curses and followed as well. Gawyn came after her, and then a squad of soldiers obeying a command of Bryne.

They hurried across the bridge, Sheriam had to kick Wing in the flanks to make the mare keep up with Egwene's horse. She looked at the Tower as they neared it, the ugly, blackened holes and the rubble even worse close up than it had been at a distance. But she thought this time she could understand Egwene's haste. They were back in Tar Valon, riding back to the White Tower, at last! Damaged, but it stood and it would be whole again.

-0-

As they arrived at the Tower, Egwene was met by a group of servants, the Sitters of course would wait for her in the Hall. The servants led Egwene into the waiting chamber, and almost immediately after, Lairain hurried by, hardly glancing at any of them as she went into the chamber after Egwene.

Several other Sisters came, Musarin and Tesan and Jala. Siuan started to argue with Jala that Egwene had already been raised, and this ceremony was unnecessary. For once Sheriam agreed with her, but she did not mingle herself in the discussion. She waited and took the messages from runners who arrived from Lord Bryne and the Aes Sedai they had left behind.

Siuan raised her voice as she argued heatedly, loud enough to be heard inside the waiting chamber, for Egwene called for her.

Siuan opened the door and peeked in.

"I was raised by the rebels, Siuan." Egwene told her sternly. "These women deserve a chance to stand for me as well. Otherwise, I will never have a claim to their loyalty. The ceremony must be performed again."

Siuan scowled, but nodded. "Very well."

"What news have you?" Egwene asked next.

Sheriam stepped forward and reluctantly Siuan moved aside a little as she opened the door further.

"Bryne has moved most of his troops across the bridges into the city," Sheriam said. "His men have taken over the positions of the Tower Guard at the fortifications, and he has send the Guardsmen he relieved, along with some of his own men, to put out the fires in the city. The Seanchan set several houses on fire to cover their retreat."

Egwene nodded as she heard the report.

"What do you want with the sisters from the camp, Mother?" Siuan asked. "They are starting to wonder."

Sheriam frowned at Siuan, who spoke out of turn as so often, but as usual Egwene ignored the transgression.

"Tell them to gather in front of the Sunset Gate," Egwene said. "Have them stand in ranks by Ajah, with Sitters in a line at the front. Once I am finished with the ceremony, I will greet them and formally accept their apology for their rebellion and welcome them back into the Tower."

"Accept their _apology_?" Sheriam and Siuan exclaimed in choir, astonished.

"They rebelled against the Tower," Egwene said. "Whatever the need of what they did, there is reason for an apology."

"But you were with them!" Siuan said, even as Sheriam pointed out "And you are their Amyrlin."

"I no longer represent just them, Sheriam, Siuan," Egwene said forcefully. "I represent the Tower. The entire Tower. And the Tower needs to know that the rebels regret the division. They needn't lie and say that they wish they'd stayed, but I think it_ is_ appropriate for them to express their sorrow for the hardships the division caused. I will acquit them, and we can get on with healing."

Sheriam frowned and bit her lip as she heard Siuan sigh beside her, but they both knew it was no use to argue.

"Yes, Mother," she said and Siuan echoed her.

They withdrew from the entrance of the waiting chamber and closed the door. Sheriam glanced at Siuan, who looked equally exasperated with Egwene. This would not sit well with the others of the Little Tower. At least Egwene had not specifically included the two of them in her order. Siuan of course had been captured and stilled, lucky to escape with her life, and Sheriam knew she would've suffered that same fate if she had been caught. She wasn't at all sure the Black would've protected her. Elaida wasn't a Black, and she had been Siuan's Mistress of the Novices. And that had been before stilling could be Healed!

"This is a fine kettle of fish," Siuan cursed as they made their way to the front gates, and for once Sheriam agreed with her. But there was no helping it, they relayed Egwene's instructions and cut down the protests some sisters made.

They were back in time to see Egwene about to enter the Hall. Siuan quickly handed Egwene a pair of slippers, taking her riding boots and taking them away. Sheriam followed her to the entrance of the Hall, but when the gong rang and the great, dark doors inlaid with the silver Flame of Tar Valon opened, she fell back, keeping her distance until she would be called upon. Tesan was the only one who went with Egwene all the way to the doors, she would stand and guard the doors to the Hall during the ceremony.

Even from her position, she could see Egwene stop only a few steps past the doors. The voice of Saerin rang out from within.

"Who comes before the Hall of the Tower?"

For whatever reason, Egwene did not reply. Sheriam could not see inside the Hall from her position, what caused Egwene to stop?

"Who comes before the Hall of the Tower?" Saerin called again.

At that time Tesan leaned in. Sheriam could see Egwene ask something of the White, but she could not hear what it was. There was a brief exchange between Egwene and Tesan. Then Tesan started, and Egwene turned towards the Sitters inside.

"One who comes humbly, in the Light," Egwene responded finally.

Anything else was cut off as Tesan closed the doors behind her, and, with a brief glance at Sheriam, left. What kind of errand had Egwene sent her on, during the ceremony of her raising?

Sheriam was even more baffled when some time later, Tesan reappeared, accompanied by four of the Tower Guard and Silviana, in chains! The Red looked disheveled, her dress rumpled and dirty at the knees, her black hair in a coarse braid. But she still looked calm even under Sheriam's scrutiny. What had happened here and what had Silviana done? More so, what did Egwene want with her, at this of all times? Sheriam itched to ask but from the puzzled look on Tesan's face, she would not know the answer to that last, most important question either. And the rest could wait.

Soon after the great doors opened and Egwene gestured for her to come in, and to the guardsmen to follow as well. The wait had not been long; unlike that time at Salidar, the Hall must have reached consensus quickly here.

As she walked through the doors, Sheriam started and almost stopped at the sight of the Hall. A great, round hole gaped in the wall behind the Amyrlin Seat, allowing one to look directly at Dragonmount in the distance. The rest of the damage was not extensive, the Seat itself undamaged and the dust and smaller pieces of rubble obviously cleared away before the ceremony, but it was disconcerting to say the least.

She tore her eyes away from the great blemish in the wall and looked at the Sitters. The ten who had met them at the Alindaer bridge were there, of course, but while the third Sitter of the Yellow, the White and the Brown were present, there were none of the Red. So they hadn't just held back from meeting them at the front line, they had not been present at the ceremony at all. So much for Egwene's choice of dress, if the Red had not stood for her it would still take a lot of effort for the Ajah to feel she was truly their Amyrlin. But what worried Sheriam most was the absence of Evanellein. She did not like the woman for remaining with Elaida, but where could she have gone? Velina and Sedore were there, but where was Duhara, had the Hall decided to leave the Red Sitters out of the raising, or was she missing too? She did not know, and no way to find out except to wait and see.

Even as she took this all in, she walked across the painted floor, knelt and kissed Egwene's ring. Then she rose and stood at Egwene's side.

"Sheriam is my Keeper of the Chronicles," Egwene announced to the Hall. "She was my Keeper while we were away from the Tower and she still is. From the Blue, let there be no question the Blue Ajah is back."

Sheriam cast her eye across the room, registering how each of the Sitters responded. None seemed particularly hostile, but she would not trust those who weren't Black for some time. They had supported Elaida, and while it had been according to the Black's instructions to create a split in the Tower, it said much about the judgment of character of those who weren't Black but had still remained here in the Tower, had even served in the Hall!

Egwene turned to the guardsmen who lingered in the doorway with Silviana, reluctant to enter far into this Hall, but also unwilling to let their prisoner move further into the room by herself.

"Release the prisoner's chains," she ordered.

The soldiers did so, although one looked much too doubtful, Sheriam thought. Likely the duty officer of these four, and responsible for Silviana, but even so a member of the Tower Guard should not look so reluctant at an order from the Amyrlin. Metal clinked as the chains fell away. The Sitters turned in their chairs to look.

"Silviana Brehon!" Egwene said, standing up. "You may approach the Amyrlin Seat."

The guardsmen stepped aside and Silviana crossed the room, in her dirty, rumpled dress but her face calm. She knelt before Egwene and kissed her ring.

The Sitters stirred, confusion clear on their faces. "Mother," Yukiri spoke up. "Is this the best time to be dispensing judgment?"

Egwene withdrew her hand from the kneeling Silviana and looked first at Yukiri, then let her gaze roam across the rest of the Sitters.

"You all bear a great deal of shame," she said.

The Sitters frowned, others raised their eyebrows.

"This," Egwene said, gesturing at the broken wall. "You bear responsibility for this." She pointed at Silviana, who still knelt before her. "You bear responsibility for _this_. You bear responsibility for the way your sisters regard each other in the halls, and you bear responsibility for letting the Tower remain so long in division. Many of you bear responsibility for that division in the first place!"

"You are a disgrace," Egwene continued. "The White Tower -the pride of the Light, the power for stability and truth since the Age of Legends- has nearly been shattered because of you!"

That was better, Sheriam thought, finally she put Elaida's Sitters in their place, even if she had to put that bit of prating about the Light into it again. She looked on coldly as several sisters gasped in shock, eyes wide.

"Elaida.." Rubinde began.

"Elaida was a madwoman, and you all know it," Egwene cut her off as she stared down on the Sitters. "You knew it these last few months as she worked unwittingly to destroy us. Light, many of you probably knew it when you _raised_ her in the first place.

"There have been foolish Amyrlins before, but none have come as close to tearing down the entire Tower! _You_ are a check upon the Amyrlin. _You_ are to keep her from doing things like this. _You_ allowed her to disband an entire Ajah? How is it that you allowed the Tower to fall so far? And when the _Dragon Reborn_ walks the land, no less!

"You should have removed Elaida the moment you heard of her disastrous attempt to confine Rand al'Thor. You should have removed her when you saw how her bickering and pettiness was turning the Ajahs against one another. And you should _certainly_ have removed her when she refused to do what was needed to bring the Tower together again, whole as one!"

Egwene looked down at each of the Sitters in turn, stared hard at each until they looked away. It did not take long. They had been angry at first, but now Egwene had shamed them, and several turned red as they averted their eyes. Sheriam looked on with satisfaction. But Egwene was not done yet.

"None of you would stand up to her," Egwene spat. "You _dare_ call yourself the Hall of the Tower? You who were cowed? You who were too frightened to do what was needed? You who were too caught up in your own squabbles and politicking to _see_ what was needed?"

Egwene finally turned her eyes away from the Sitters and looked down at Silviana. "Only one woman in this room was willing to stand up for what she knew what was right. Only one woman dared to defy Elaida, and she accepted the price of doing so. And you think I brought this woman here to extract _vengeance_ on her? Are you really so blinded to think that I'd punish the only person in the entire Tower who did anything of decency these past months?"

The Sitters all looked down now, some even shifted uncomfortably in their seats, but Silviana looked up at Egwene.

"You did your duty, Silviana," Egwene said. "And you did it well. Rise."

Silviana stood. She looked haggard, and from close up Sheriam noticed her eyes were puffy and red and she swayed a little on her feet as she rose. But it seemed to pass quickly and Silviana stood in front of Egwene.

"Silviana," Egwene said. "A new Amyrlin has been raised. And, it shames me to say, it was done with subterfuge similar to Elaida's raising. Of the seven Ajahs, only five were represented. The Blue I know would support me, were they here. They have stood for me in Salidar. But the Red were not even given a chance to voice their dissent or approval."

"There are good reasons for that, Mother," Silviana said.

"That may be true," Egwene said. "But it all but ensures that my reign will be marked with tension between myself and the Red. They will perceive ill will where there is none, and I will lose the strength of hundreds of women. Women that will be sorely needed."

"I… don't see any way around that, Mother," Silviana said, but something started to dawn on Sheriam. She had come to know Egwene in the past months and combined with her reports earlier this afternoon…

"I do," Egwene said. "Silviana Brehon, I would have you as my Mistress of the Novices. Let it not be said I spurned the Red."

Silviana blinked, but Sheriam nodded as she saw her suspicions confirmed. Silviana herself recovered quickly from her surprise, and knelt again in front of Egwene.

"I would be honored, Mother, truly honored," the Red said.

"This will be a difficult time for the Red Ajah, daughter," Egwene said. "Their nature has always been to capture men who can channel, but reports claim that Saidin is clean."

"There will still be rogue channelers, Mother" Silviana said. "And men are not to be trusted."

"I didn't say that your purpose would vanish, only that it would change. I see great things for the Red Ajah in the future -an expanding of vision, a renewal of duty. I hope you can help guide them."

Sheriam was less certain. She approved of Egwene's decision to appoint Silviana as Mistress of the Novices -she would be able to deal with the older novices much better than Tiana, and although she'd liked to see a Black in the position, she would have been hesitant to suggest any who had been in Verin's journal. Even if Egwene no longer trusted the list, Sheriam knew not to push her luck. But to change the purpose of the Red? Aes Sedai were notoriously stuck in their ways, especially those who had remained in the Tower. Those who had been with the rebels had learned they might have to put up with unconventional things, but even there every little change had to be fought for. And to change the duties of an entire Ajah? Sheriam had hard hopes in it.

Egwene in the meantime looked up at the Sitters, who were watching in stunned silence.

"I'd order you all to do penance," Egwene said, "save for the fact that I know some of you, at least, were working behind the scenes to stop the crumbling of the White Tower. You didn't do enough, but you did something. Beyond that, I think that the penance we often demand of ourselves is ridiculous. What is physical pain to an Aes Sedai?"

Perhaps nothing when you've been trained by the Aiel, Sheriam thought, irritated at Egwene's return to her prating. But she carefully kept her irritation from showing.

Egwene took a deep breath. "And I am not guiltless either. I share some of your shame, for it was during my tenure that these disasters occurred. I sided with the rebels, allowed myself to be raised by them because it was the only choice. But that choice still gives me culpability.

"Bear your shame, Sitters, but bear it with determination. Do not let it break you. The time for healing has begun, and there is no longer any use in pointing fingers. You failed. But you are all that we have. We are all that the world has."

One by one, the Sitters looked up.

"Come," Egwene said as she strode across the painted floor towards the door. "Let us greet the rebels."

Sheriam walked next to Egwene, Silviana on her other side. The Sitters followed behind.

"Mother," Silviana inquired. "I can only assume you had a Mistress of the Novices already, among the rebels. Do you intend to maintain two of us?"

"No," Egwene replied. "Tiana is stepping down. I must warn you we have been accepting women of all ages, and you will find the numbers far greater than you dealt with here. But I trust you can handle them."

"Thank you, Mother. I will not disappoint you," Silviana replied.

Sheriam looked around as they walked through the hallways, disturbed at the extend of the damage and how little had as of yet been done to clean it up. In the Tower itself, at least, no more fires smoldered, but she was sure she saw blood still on the tiles in one of the corridors.

Soon they reached the Great Square, on the east side of the building. The square was filled by sisters, in ranks by Ajah as ordered, the Sitters -their Salidar Sitters- in front.

Sheriam spotted Leane standing with the Green, released from her imprisonment but looking no better than Silviana did, and narrowed her eyes as she saw Siuan near the front of the Blue. Leane likely had been brought out by the Tower's sisters or even by guardsmen, but surely Siuan must realize the order hadn't, strictly speaking, included her? It must be her sense of loyalty that made the woman join the Blue sisters in spite of that. While many of the Salidar sisters had supported her, Sheriam's loyalty to the Little Tower did not run that deep, especially not since she was well aware they would see her dead if they knew her true Ajah. She was not going to let herself be shamed in front of those who had cast her out.

Egwene took position on top of the tall steps leading up from the square to the Tower, her back to the ornately carved doors. The Tower Sitters went to one side of the spacious landing, Sheriam to the other. Silviana, after a brief hesitation, joined her.

Egwene used the Power to amplify her voice, then addressed the crowd. "Sisters, daughters. I have been raised properly to the Amyrlin Seat. Both sides of this conflict have chosen me. Both followed the prescribed methods and both now accept me as their Amyrlin. It is time to join together again.

"I will not pretend that our division did not take place. We of the White Tower are sometimes too eager to forget those facts we don't want to acknowledge. This one cannot be hidden, not from us who lived it. We were divided. We nearly came to war with one another. We have disgraced ourselves.

"You rebels before me have done something terrible. You have shattered the Tower and raised up a rival Amyrlin. For the first time, troops have been marshaled by Aes Sedai against Aes Sedai. I led those troops. I know of this shame.

"Necessary or not, it _is_ a shame. And so it is that I require your admission of guilt. You must take responsibility for your crimes, even those performed in the name of the greater good."

Sheriam looked at the Aes Sedai in the square. She saw more than a few frowns, but also more ashamed blushes than she liked. Great Lord, it _had_ been necessary, it was ridiculous to feel guilty over what was done when you were left with no other choices. Yes, indeed, Egwene had been with the Aiel far too long.

"You did not come here in glory," Egwene continued. "You did not come here victorious. For there is no victory, and could have been no victory, when sister fought sister and Warder died to Warder. Mistakes have been made on both sides, and we will all have to work hard to repair what we have done. It is said by blacksmiths that a sword that has been shattered can never be whole again. It must be completely reforged, the metal melted down to slag, then reworked and re-formed.

"These next few months will be our re-forming. We have been broken, then torn down nearly to roots. The Last Battle approaches, and before it arrives, I mean to see that we are once again a sword forged with strength, whole and unbroken! I will make demands of you. They will be harsh. They will stretch you to the limits of what you think you can bear. I will take these burned holes and fill them! Accommodations will have to be made, for between us there are far too many Sitters for the Hall, not to mention five too many Ajah heads. Some of you will have to step down and bow yourselves in humility before those you dislike."

Sheriam wondered if it would be too obvious if all the Black stayed on as Sitters. Egwene might now believe Verin's list of names was not correct, but it was not the same. Possibly there was a bit of doubt left somewhere inside her, and they'd do best to avoid anything suspicious. Perhaps better to give up one of the Sitters' positions.

"These days will test you! I will force you to work with those you saw as enemies just hours ago. You will marsh alongside those who spurned you, or hurt you, or hated you.

"But we are stronger than our weaknesses. The White Tower stands, and we shall stand with it. We will become one again. We will be an assembly that tales will tell of. When I am finished with you, it will not be written that the White Tower was weak. Our divisions will be forgotten in the face of our victories. We will be remembered not as the White Tower who turned against itself, but as the White Tower who stood strong in the face of the Shadow. These days are _legendary_!"

Cheers burst out, mostly from the novices, servants and soldiers, but Sheriam noticed even a few of the Aes Sedai cheered. They had to know better, had to know that this was not realistic! Perhaps if they had years, an Amyrlin like Egwene could re-form the White Tower. But Aes Sedai resisted change, and after all they had been through it would take time for the Aes Sedai to trust each other again. To think it could be done quickly, or that they would have the time to do it in with the Last Battle so close, was foolishness. Well it had been mostly the younger ones who had cheered.

Egwene raised her hand and the noise died down.

"Let it go forth across the land!" Egwene shouted when all was quiet again. "Let it be spoken of, let it be relied upon, let it be remembered. The White Tower is whole and complete. And no one -man, woman or creation of the Shadow- will see us divided again!"

The cheers were louder, much louder now, and more Aes Sedai joined in, even older ones who should know better. Of course there were those who, like Lelaine and Romanda, had reason for brownnosing. A cheer was not covered by the Oaths, as long as one did not use any actually supportive words, one could cheer all one wanted.

This time Egwene let the noise die down by itself, which took several minutes. Only then did she gesture at the Blue sisters from the camp.

The Sitters took the lead. One by one, Ajah by Ajah, the Aes Sedai apologized for the division. Some said so clearly, swayed by Egwene's self-righteous talk of shame and humility, others had more trouble finding the right words to express regrets. Sheriam looked closely, watching out of habit for those who might be unhappy enough to be approached by the Black. The procedures took a long time and darkness fell, servants bringing torches and flares to light the square. Finally the last sister gave their apology as ordered.

Egwene raised her voice and called once more for attention.

"I realize this has been a long day for all of you. But the Wheel waits on no man -or woman- and there are things that can not wait until tomorrow. The Hall -all Sitters- will meet immediately, and afterwards I want to see all full Aes Sedai and their Warders, one Ajah at a time. Everyone, remain available to come into the Hall when called upon."

There was a little stir among the sisters, some murmurs of surprise, but no complaints, at least none that could be heard aloud. Sheriam followed and so did Silviana.

In the Hall, the double ward was woven; as Kwamesa wove hers Aledrin followed suit, while Egwene briefly explained why this was necessary. Gasps from several of the Sitters, but also knowing nods from Saerin, Yukiri, Doesine and Seaine, as Egwene named them as the ones to come up with the idea of re-swearing the Oaths. Some of the Sitters protested, indignant that such a thing was necessary, but Egwene herself took the lead by re-swearing, Silviana offered to go next, and she was followed by Saerin, Yukiri, Doesine and Seaine.

Then the rest of Elaida's Sitters took their turn and swore on the Oath Rod. Including Velina and Sedore. So Mesaana had taught them. But where was Evanellein? Duhara had been gone for some time, Sheriam now heard, but Evanellein had gone missing only last night, after the Seanchan raid. Had she fled on purpose, being a stronger channeler, like Leesa and Kerryn from the camp? Even if the Tower Blacks had thought of that, it would not make sense to give up a Sitter's position beforehand, there were plenty of strong sisters who did not hold a position in the Hall. It was a sign that all was not well, and Sheriam's fears were confirmed when the Ajahs were called in, White first as it had been in the camp. Alviarin herself, the only one who knew all of the Black, was missing too!

With growing concern she watched as the Oath Rod was handed around the room, two Black sisters Sheriam knew accepting it, but then Yanine hurled it across the room and tried to open a gateway before she was seized and shielded. Two among the Green failed the test, one Yellow was seized, and four, four of the Gray! Then one from among the Brown and a full six of the Red. The final score was twenty-three missing -at least they were likely safe, for now- and fifteen captured. What had gone wrong?

Egwene quickly called judgment. By the time the last Ajah, the Red, had been tested on the Oath Rod, it was very late, and she ordered the Black sisters Stilled. In the morning they were to be briefly interrogated and then executed at High. However much it pained her, Sheriam did not dare argue, to argue was to risk all. So she kept her emotions under tight control, even when she, Moria, Sedore and Velina all had to take turns in the circles doing the Stilling.

The Warders of the captured sisters struggled and raged, but to no effect. All cursed at the sisters holding them wrapped in Air, none turned on the sister they were Bonded to. As the Stilling was done, the severed Bonds made little difference in their anger, except for Tarian, Kaya's Warder. An aging man who had been bonded to the Green for all his life, he collapsed when she was Stilled and the Yellow could not wake him. Still breathing but unconscious, he too was taken to a cot in the cells, where the Warders would be held until they could be interrogated and their allegiance could be determined. As if their rage was not enough. Sheriam had little doubt they would continue to support their sisters, even those who had not actually been a Friend of the Dark.

As soon as she could, she retired to her old room.

(Author's note: I realise this chapter was very, very much like the one in the series, but Egwene's 'prating' has to be included to get from the point of warning to the rest of the story, with only a few small changes. And I personally like Sheriam's thoughts I inserted :)).


	5. Seeds sown in blood

**Seeds sown in blood.**

The first thing she did after warding the room was check her hidey-hole, and to her relief she found her little stash in tact. She dropped her angreal, a wooden cat statuette, into her pouch, together with the tiny, stone cup that strengthened Healing weaves, and she laid the Well, a silver and blue hair pin, on her bedside table, ready to wear from now on. Then she sat down and waited for the visit she knew would not be long.

She wasn't sure what to expect; last night Mesaana had shown herself to be as human as anyone, but that was no guarantee for today. On the contrary, she had considered the possibility Mesaana might get rid of her since she witnessed that moment of weakness. Or out of anger over her own failure here at the White Tower. But if that was the case there was nothing she could do to stop the Chosen. She would just have to hope for the best.

It was not long before the gateway opened. Now that she knew what to look for she noticed the little Eye flash open just a moment before. Such an obvious trick, that no one had thought of that!

Mesaana stepped through, once again in her disguise with the fluttering black strips of fabric. She too must have been among the Sisters taking the test on the Oath Rod, but Sheriam could not even begin to guess who she impersonated. Only that it'd have to be someone who had not too many close friends, but that left many possibilities, especially among the Brown and the Red.

Sheriam fell on her knees, bowed her head. "Great Mistress."

"At least you made it. Get up." The Chosen's voice was flat, tired.

Sheriam stood. "What happened?" she asked quietly.

"Alviarin," Mesaana replied. "She must have panicked. I summoned her, told her to gather a handful of others to teach them the weaves. She did not return. When I went to look for her, I found Evanellein, Katerine and Melvara had disappeared as well. I taught Velina and Sedore, but only Alviarin knew all the Black. The remaining sisters did what they could, but they did not reach everyone. The sisters who couldn't learn are in Aringill, so are Atuan, Karale and Marris since it turns out Talene talked before she fled and the Black Ajah hunters _knew_ about them." Mesaana shook her head in disgust.

"At least those can be reached and are easily put to action when I need them, but too many were caught. When I find Alviarin, she is going to wish she was never born." The Chosen took a deep breath. "How did you fare?"

"All should be safe. I haven't been able to check up on those who had to leave, Siuan still does not trust me and has been watching me like a hawk. But no one was caught in the purge at the camp."

"You did well," Mesaana said.

"Thank you, High Mistress," Sheriam replied. Any smugness she had felt earlier at her success was greatly tempered by the capture of the Black Sisters here.

"I tried to get to those captured but it is no use. There are twenty-six Aes Sedai down there, with two dozen Tower guard. Twenty-six! That al'Vere woman is taking no chances."

"I could suggest they be held for more interrogation." She had to at least suggest it.

"No," Mesaana firmly cut her off. "Do not put yourself at risk. You are useful yet. In fact, you are hereby appointed as the new Black Ajah Head. Do better than your predecessor."

Sheriam knelt. "Thank you, High Mistress. I will," she promised fervently.

"See that you do," Mesaana replied. "And speaking of risks, the sleepweavers, have they been missed yet?"

"Not yet," Sheriam replied.

"I still don't like all these visits to Tel'aran'rhiod, but it is not as important. Have a Brown return them saying she did some testing on the lot."

"Yes, High Mistress," Sheriam said, feeling greatly relieved.

"I had a plan to catch Egwene in Tel'aran'rhiod, but perhaps I still can. You must find out when she goes there and what she does." Mesaana said.

"I might be able to do that, but…" She trailed off, she shouldn't question the Chosen's plans, but neither could she keep silent about what she knew.

"Yes?" Mesaana asked shortly.

"From what I understand she is very strong as a Dreamer. She has a great deal of control, has entered in the flesh and traveled from the Waste to Salidar in a matter of hours," Sheriam cautioned, hoping fervently she had not pushed her luck too far.

"The stupid cow!" Mesaana snapped, and Sheriam flinched.

"Not you. That incompetent, lovesick _cosa_, Lanfear. She had placed herself near al'Thor when he went into the Waste. He gained the support of the Aiel, the al'Vere girl was trained by the Wise Ones and that idiot calf let it all happen!" Mesaana spat. She shrugged, the black fabric fluttering. "Well, too late to change that now, we will watch and see what opportunity presents itself. I will provide a way for you to contact me -which of the rebel Black can read ter'angreal? The ability is related to being able to make them, if only they are taught."

Greatly relieved the Chosen's anger had not been aimed at her, Sheriam gave the names of those of the Black who had most experience with the artifacts, and Mesaana opened the gateway and left.

Sheriam was tired, but she had more to do. She opened the Eye, then the Gateway to Dagdara's room. Dagdara was still up, had been waiting for her.

"Leesa and Kerryn are settled in at Jalila's farm. Sleeping arrangements are a bit cramped with eleven sisters and six Warders, but no more than the tents in the camp were. The farm is secluded and almost self-sufficient, and as long as they use Travel to come and go, the people in the nearest village will not even know they are there," Dagdara reported.

"What about Maigan and Annisha?"

"Stilled and locked in the cellar, as comfortable as they can be under the circumstances. No harm will come to them."

Sheriam acknowledged, pleased at what she heard. She Traveled back to her own rooms, undressed and went to sleep in her old bed, secure for the first time in months that her sleep would not be rudely interrupted.

-0-

The next morning broke. In spite of everything, Sheriam had slept well. Of course she had needed her rest since the previous night she had forgone all sleep in favor of a Refreshing. But at breakfast the serious state of affairs came back to her. She was still shocked at the state of the Tower. The fires were now all extinguished, even in the city, with sisters, Tower Guard and Bryne's men working together. But rubble and dust was everywhere.

Also, she heard rumors about strange occurrences in the Tower, visions of blood or gore, solid stone melting or crumbling even before the Seanchan attack, entire sections of the Tower warping around, halls and stairs twisting back upon themselves. The Great Lord was touching the Tower, people said. At Salidar there had been only the one night when the bubbles of evil had hit, here apparently there had been far more incidents, although they were spread out over time.

Her anteroom was whole but empty, Egwene had ordered everything from Elaida as well as anything from Alviarin and Tarna cleared out and locked away until it could be gone through carefully, and so all she had was the bare desk, and the paperwork she'd had brought in from the camp. And of course the new reports which formed rapidly growing stacks.

There was much work to be done. Sheriam compiled a list of those missing, not only the Black who had fled but also those who were taken or dead in the Seanchan raid. Saerin had taken census immediately after the battle, and while almost forty were missing -twenty-six Aes Sedai, ten Accepted and three novices- there were none that she knew as Black. One of Saerin's list had turned up this morning, an Accepted who had fled into the city and hid in a shed, remaining there all of yesterday until hunger and thirst drove her out of hiding. It did not bode well for the girl's ability to become Aes Sedai, to lose control in this manner, but that was Silviana's concern now.

Eight damane and six sul'dam were captured, and Egwene immediately decided to train them as Aes Sedai. Another one of her wild ideas! The damane were totally submissive, and the sul'dam refused to even admit they could learn to channel. And they would have to be watched constantly so they did not run away back to the Seanchan. It would be more useful to force them to teach the Aes Sedai some of their offense weaves. Somehow Sheriam thought even the Green didn't know near as much of using the Power in a real battle. Well, whether the damane wore novice white or not, she'd make sure at least the Black learned anything they knew. They all had their a'dam, in fact for the time being they were still locked up and still held collared, because the one damane the White Tower sisters had tried to release had immediately attacked and had to be shielded and re-leashed. With a bit of caution, it might be possible for some of the Black to Travel into their cells at night and make them do their bidding.

And of course the captured Black sisters were being interrogated, briefly but thoroughly. Fortunately none were high in the Black and these knew none outside their own Hearts. Of course, that was what had gotten them caught in the first place, the links between the Hearts broken by those who had fled or who were otherwise gone from the Tower. And none knew any of the Black who had been with the rebels; the split between the Towers had been fairly clean, few leaving close friends or comrades behind. Sheriam herself had known only four of the younger ones, three Red and the Brown, but they did not know her. She had merely passed their names along to Galina and Marillin when they were raised to the Shawl.

Even so, a number of disturbing facts came out into the open. Thefts, use of compulsion on non-Black sisters and visitors to the Tower, two safehouses in the city -not the inn- and even a couple murders. Sheriam of course had access to all the reports so she knew exactly what was revealed, but she could not save the Friends of the Dark in town. Guards had been sent out the moment the Black sisters had named those locations, already on their way even as the reports were made to Egwene, and to her. But at least she knew, would make sure word got around and none of the other Black would get caught there.

Then it was High and all were called to the Traitor's Court. Aes Sedai, Accepted, novices and servants ringed a great open space where the block was set up. A row of Tower Guard and Lord Bryne's men stood in front, holding the crowd back. The Hall -still with the odd numbers, the Ajahs had not sorted out their positions yet- stood in front of the soldiers. Murmurs came from all around as Sheriam followed Egwene, out of the Tower, across the open space, to take up position in front of the Sitters. The murmurs rose as the fifteen Black Sisters were led out in chains, each flanked by two members of the Tower Guard, but as they were lined up on the opposite side of the open space the crowd grew silent.

Egwene once again channeled the weaves to make her voice carry. "The Tower has long denied the existence of the Black Ajah. I can no longer do that, for we have found the Black to be real and in our midst. Fortunately, we have been able to capture a good number of them. Others have fled, but I intend to find each and every one of them, so the world will no longer be at risk of this great evil. These who stand before me we have captured, and they will be executed for their crimes. So shall it be, the Light have mercy on their souls."

No cheers this time. The courtyard was quiet except for the sobs of the condemned and the clanking of the chains as the first sister was led towards the block. Yanine, the first to be caught, the first to be executed. As she was made to kneel in front of the block, the clouds moved aside for just a moment and the sun broke through, perversely bathing the scene in a golden light. Sheriam was astutely aware of the angreal in her belt pouch, the silver and blue Well pinned in her hair, but it was not nearly enough to do anything. She stood stoically next to the Amyrlin, Keeper's staff in her right hand, blue stole around her shoulders and face grim. The headsman -one of Chubain's men, not Bryne's- raised his axe, the silver flashing. Then it fell, claiming the sister's head, and blood spurted onto the marble paving blocks even as the cloud cover closed again overhead.

Anger coursed through Sheriam. Great evil indeed. Telma, who was led to the block next, had merely wanted access to forbidden knowledge, had not been interested in the battle between the Great Lord and the Creator at all except in a scholarly way. Many of the Black weren't, would never have done deeds of 'great evil' if the Last Battle had not been so near, and even now would do so only if absolutely necessary. Like she herself. She had been prepared to kill last night but only to save her own skin and that of her fellow Black sisters. She had avoided physical violence that went beyond a good strapping for discipline. Although she would like a piece of Alviarin, in the unlikely event Mesaana left any. Verin was definitely beyond her reach, but the cowardly action of their one-time Ajah Head was also to blame for the disaster taking place in front of her.

She glanced sideways at Egwene as the axe claimed Telma's head too, then she tore her eyes away and forced herself to look in front of her before she lost control and did something to wipe that expression of satisfaction off the Amyrlin's face. Never mind those of great evil, she thought, save us from the righteous!

One by one the other Black sisters were led forward. Their sobs and struggles grew more desperate as the pool of blood under the block grew so large they had to kneel in the blood of those who had gone before them, and the bodies were unceremoniously tossed aside and piled up beside the block by the guardsmen who had brought them out. After eight executions, the headsman was relieved by another, also from the Tower guard, the man checking the axe as he took it over from the first. He took out a whetstone and sharpened the blade, working on that for several minutes as the crowd and the condemned sisters looked on. Then the executions continued as Sheriam could do nothing but watch.

It was then and there that she decided to work toward a victory for the Great Lord in earnest. Until now, no matter how often she had claimed she 'lived to serve' to Halima or Mesaana, she had in reality juggled many interests. She had taken care to secure her own position of course, but she had also served the Tower, in part because a strong Tower meant more power for her, but also because the Tower had been her home for so many years. In the same manner she had cared for the Blue Ajah, had supported the Blue whenever doing so wasn't in direct conflict with the Black. In truth, she had tried to avoid getting involved too deeply with the Chosen and the Last Battle, because of the risk that would mean to herself and to those she cared more about than perhaps she should. But no more. She would do what she had to do to keep her cover, but any consideration for the Tower and those sisters not of the Black was a thing of the past, and she would even put her own position second to the needs of her Ajah. Great evil indeed, she would take her chances. It had to be better than this hypocrisy.

Vittorina Pelos was the last to be executed, a tall and arrogant Tairen noblewoman, who kept her calm until the last moment. Sheriam hadn't liked her, hadn't known her to be other than a Red, a harsh woman who had sent novices and Accepted to her study for the most trivial reasons, and who perpetually looked down on those who were not of noble birth, even though that should not make any difference among Aes Sedai. But now she silently saluted the woman for her stoic behavior. Then Vittorina, too, lay dead, and finally a stir ran through the spectators. Egwene raised her arms, calling for attention.

"Now that we have cleansed ourselves of this evil, this rot that was eating away at our core, we stand united to fight for the Light," Egwene called out. "From this moment on, we will rebuild stronger than ever before, wholly dedicated in the fight against the Dark One."

Right, Sheriam thought as she looked over the crowd. Even if it weren't for the Black, there would still be strife and selfish struggle aplenty. Lelaine and Romanda both had submitted letters of protest against the appointment of Silviana, and a proposal for the sul'dam and damane to be held as prisoners of war, to be offered in a prisoner exchange. As if the Seanchan would so easily consider letting go of those they had captured! Then there was the problem of which Sitters would keep their position and which would have to step down, the humility of which Egwene had spoken the previous evening hard to find among those who had made it into the Hall in the first place. Only the Brown had promised to make their choice known that afternoon, the struggle for power was part of being Aes Sedai in all Ajahs.

"Now there is much to be done. I can not promise you safety, there lays danger ahead as the Last Battle approaches. But go to your tasks knowing at least for the moment we can at least be sure of one another. When the Tower stands strong, we will be victorious against the threats outside our walls as well!"

Oh the irony, Sheriam wished she could laugh aloud at these ridiculous statements, but of course she kept her face completely calm. At least there were only a few cheers, this time, the executions had made a deep impression even on the servants, novices and younglings.

The crowd quickly broke up, impressed or not, they had no desire to remain out here and hang around. Egwene herself went into the Tower, but Sheriam had to stay out here, her task as Keeper to oversee the removal of the bodies. Already a cart came rumbling into the square, the placid oxen snorting at the blood before they came to a stop. The guardsmen picked up the bodies and tossed them on the cart like so much refuse, the heads thrown in after. There was no need to match up the heads with the bodies, the executed would not even get the dignity of individual graves. They would be buried in a mass grave in the corner of the city cemetery, among the poor and common criminals.

The cart loaded, a few of the guardsmen hopped on to help unload and close the pit, and the cart rumbled off. Servants came out with buckets of water and brooms, and, looking rather shaken at their task, started to wash away the blood.

As she watched the cart pass through the gate, she was not surprised to notice Siuan had stayed behind and was watching her, again. Well fine, she knew she had not betrayed any of her thoughts in her face, and at least as long as the woman was here she was not discussing her suspicions with Egwene. Still something had to be done, about Siuan and about Egwene. An idea formed, an idea for which the seeds had been sown long ago, and which had nagged at her time and again during the past months, but which she had always dismissed as being too impractical to implement by herself and too risky to suggest to the Chosen.

Outwardly calm, she turned and went into the Tower and into her anteroom. She quickly leafed through the new reports that had been deposited on her desk in the short time she had been away, selected the ones that were important enough to warrant immediate attention, and went into Egwene's room.

"Tarian died early this morning, all other of the captured Warders have admitted to being Darkfriends," she reported. Not unexpected, it was just that much more to lay at Egwene's feet. Sheriam still wasn't sure if the Warders truly were Friends of the Dark. Some Warders who walked in the Light might turn on their Aes Sedai, there were even a few cases where a Warder had killed his Aes Sedai on discovering she was a Black, but more had remained true to the sister they were bonded to.

"All?" Egwene asked, a rhetorical question since she thought Sheriam could not lie.

"All seven," Sheriam confirmed.

Egwene looked grim. "I had hoped at least some would not be, we will need every trained fighter all too soon. But so be it. They will be executed after the executions of the Darkfriends caught in town, at Trine."

"Yes, Mother," Sheriam acknowledged.

Egwene sighed. "Oh Sheriam, six, six of the Red, and another six who have escaped! A dozen of the Red alone. Did I make a mistake in letting the Red Ajah remain intact?"

Yes, you did, Sheriam thought, and for other reasons. Not that she said so. "Those who are left are not Darkfriends, and perhaps the number of Black found among them might make the rest bend easier to your plans."

A snort came from the doorway and Siuan walked in. "I am still not sure we caught them all," she said.

Damn the woman, even after the dressing-down the previous evening she entered here as if it were still her study, and worst of all Egwene let her get away with it.

"How that so?" Egwene asked, instead of berating Siuan for her behavior.

"Too many young or weak sisters caught, too little spread among the Ajah's. Remember Liandrin's group? They were two from each Ajah, age and strength evenly spread among them, no more than two from any given nation. They had to have a larger pool to fish from."

"There will still be Black among those who are not in the Tower, at Caemlyn, Cairhien, in the Black Tower. I saw the sisters here swear on the Oath Rod, every one of them," Egwene said, but Sheriam heard in her voice there was a bit of doubt creeping in.

"Then maybe there is some way to beat the Oath Rod," Siuan said.

"Beat it?" Sheriam enquired. She kept her calm, she would not allow herself be tripped up. As long as she _could_ beat the Oath Rod, unless Siuan also figured out _how_ it was done, the woman had no way to actually prove her suspicions. In spite of the way Egwene had taken Verin's word about her, and the fact that Siuan clearly still held Egwene's trust regardless of last night's berating, she was also sure Egwene's relief when she had 'proven' herself had been genuine. She was far from safe, but as long as she did not allow Siuan to rile her, she should be alright for the moment.

"I cannot believe that," Egwene replied. "If the Black knew how to fool the Oath Rod, why would so many still flee and why would they allow fifteen of their number to be caught and executed? Perhaps… perhaps the Forsaken can beat it but I can't see someone like Moghedien teaching her weaves to others, not even the Black."

Sheriam frowned as she wondered why Egwene named Moghedien, did she suspect Moghedien of being in the Tower? It hadn't sounded as just a random example. As Siuan's reaction confirmed; the woman glared at Egwene furiously. And finally, finally Egwene said something about it.

"Siuan, I saw her swear on the Oath Rod. And I was watching closely, very closely, because of what Verin wrote." Egwene threw her an apologetic glance before turning back to Siuan. "I told the Hall yesterday that I would have no more of this distrust that almost destroyed the Tower, and I won't have it from you. It was my fault to name anyone before I had proof, but now you must let it go. I need your help to sort through Elaida's papers but it is no use if all you're doing is watching Sheriam."

About time! But still she would bring up her plan that evening. Aloud she said generously, "These are trying times. Enough to make anyone doubt another. I have nothing to hide. If it makes you feel better you can keep an eye on me while working on Elaida's things."

"I will do that," Siuan said, still glowering.

Egwene sighed, clearly unhappy, but she did not push Siuan any further. Sheriam decided the best defense was to appear tolerant, and to go back to business.

"Back to the reports," she said pointedly. "The Brown have decided on Takima, Janya and Saerin as their Sitters, the other Ajahs haven't submitted their choices yet. Tsutama asks permission to speak to you in private -I suggest not making any promises that what she brings up will remain private. She has been exiled once for breaking Tower law, be careful around her."

She might be beyond caring what happened to the Tower, she did not think the Red would be up to anything that was good for the Black either.

There was a knock on the half-open door -something Siuan hadn't even bothered with- and Silviana entered.

"Mother? I thought you might want to see this."

"What is it?" Egwene asked.

"You should come and see."

Egwene rose and, curious, Sheriam went along. To her annoyance, Siuan tagged along as well. Silviana did not explain but led the way to the Hall.

Silviana gestured for Egwene to enter, and Egwene did, Sheriam and Siuan following, down the short ramp to the floor. The floor was freshly repainted, to once again include the Blue. It was good to see, but would be even better if it had replaced the Red.

Beyond the floor and the chairs -the Blue Sitter's chairs were back also- a group of stone masons were hard at work. All stone masons from the city had been called to the Tower, with additional crews Gated in from Cairhien and Caemlyn, but the Ogier refuse to leave their Stedding no matter what they are offered. Work had started in the Hall and several other places, first those that were the most important for Tower business, and where the damage posed the greatest risk of further collapse. The Hall of course was a priority, and the crew was working to shore up the walls. Egwene had decided to put a large rose window in the Hall, where the hole overlooked Dragonmount. The stonemasons had cleared the rubble and were now working to prepare the edges so the window could be fit in.

That however wasn't what Silviana had wanted to show. When they neared the large hole -the masons stepping back respectfully as soon as they saw them approach- she could look out. The clouds had moved apart in a ring above Dragonmount, and the sun shone down on it, lighting the snowcapped crag, shining brightly on the broken mountain in a perfect column. The first sun in weeks except for that short moment at High. And such an unusual pattern!

"Some novices noticed it first," Silviana was saying. "And news spread quickly. Who would have thought that a little ring of sunlight would cause such a stir? It's just a simple thing, really. Nothing we haven't seen before. But…" Silviana paused. "What does it mean?"

Egwene stared out the large gap. "I don't know, but I welcome the sight of it." She hesitated. "That opening in the clouds is too even to be natural. Mark this day on the calendars, for something has happened. Perhaps, eventually, we shall know the truth of it."

Sheriam did not know what it meant either, but she refused to let it awe her. Just like history was written by the victors, signs and omens were interpreted and prophesies written by each side according to their own desires.

"Yes, Mother," she acknowledged, but she knew that if it were up to her, the day would be remembered for a different reason than Egwene had in mind.

-0-

Egwene clearly was impressed, because she stood and stared at the sight for quite some time before returning to her study. Sheriam returned with her, and the afternoon wore on. At Trine she had to witness more executions, the Warders and the two families caught in town. The Warders were also taken to the Traitor's Court, but after the Aes Sedai from this morning, it was clearly of less importance to most. There were primarily Warders and younglings in attendance, and of course the guardsmen and soldiers. And, once again, Siuan, who stood with Gareth Bryne but was no doubt really watching her and perhaps the other Warders. Arinvar joined her as they watched the grim spectacle, his face unreadable, but he felt furious as well as concerned. She had not told him exactly how close she had come to being caught, but he had to have a pretty good idea. So did the other Warders of the Black. Add to that the Warders who walked in the Light and who were outraged at the Darkfriends caught in their midst, and the atmosphere was tense to the extreme. Sheriam was glad when it was over and she could return to her anteroom.

Finally evening fell, and Sheriam waited in her rooms for Mesaana to arrive. Like the previous night, she did not have to wait long. Did Mesaana have a way to watch her, so she knew when she retired to her rooms? It was quite possible, there were so many ways of setting up a ward, or she could simply have one of the many servants stake out the halls. It wasn't as disquieting as it would have been a few days ago. Sheriam knelt.

"Rise," Mesaana said. None of the tiredness or nervousness of the previous days now. The Chosen still wore her disguise of fluttering black fabric, but was once again calm underneath. She held several short, red rods in her hand.

"Call rods," she explained. "These only work as a matched pair. Channel Spirit and Fire in the one, press the end, and the other will grow warm, alerting the person who carries it. They are very simple, there once were ter'angreal which allowed one to contact any other person who carried a similar ter'angreal, one could send a message along and some even allowed for two-way conversation. But these were made only this afternoon from nothing else but a receiving part and a description of what they do. I expect to have better ones soon."

"Thank you, High Mistress," Sheriam replied sincerely, for both the ter'angreal Mesaana handed her and for the slight measure of respect she allowed in her voice. Slight coming from anyone else -a remarkable compliment from one of the Chosen.

"So, report," Mesaana said.

"Siuan is still suspicious, and she has Egwene wondering if there is some way to defeat the Oath Rod. As for now, Egwene does not believe the Black can, but she is considering the possibility of one of the Chosen hiding in the Tower," Sheriam started.

"Verin knew I was here, fortunately she did not know my disguise," Mesaana replied.

Sheriam frowned. "For some reason, Egwene named Moghedien. She said she could not imagine someone like Moghedien teaching others."

"Interesting," Mesaana replied. "I am sure she is nowhere near here now but she may have had a run-in with Egwene in the past. She's had some failures and she definitely did not tell me the details of them. Egwene may be more dangerous than I thought."

"I may have a plan," Sheriam said, taking advantage of the obvious opening. "Why not Turn her to the Great Lord using the full circle and the Myrddraal? Egwene has been captured by the Seanchan and by Elaida, even the Dragon was taken once, and what happened is they couldn't be held. But from what I understand of the weave, when the Turning is done she won't need to be held in collar or shield."

Mesaana looked surprised. "I haven't used that often, but yes it would be workable. She would of course be allowed to keep her position, under our control, if she can keep up appearances."

"Can the Turning be detected by Reading or Delving?" Sheriam asked.

"Not unless one knows what one's looking for. It can't be Read since there are no active weaves left once it is done, and it will not show in a regular Delving either. Some of our adversaries developed a weave to detect it but I doubt anyone in this Age knows it. Al'Thor might, he has memories of Lews Therin."

"Then it can be done," Sheriam agreed. "It has been the way the Black has always operated, pretending to be of other Ajahs, Egwene can do the same. The greatest problem is, again, Siuan. She will notice even a small slip and while she may not suspect this, she will suspect compulsion or another method of control. She must be taken also, first I would think. It is inconvenient she has bonded Bryne as a Warder."

Mesaana got a look of distaste on her face. Sheriam had noticed before the Chosen did not like the concept of the Bond. "The Bond can be used to compel him, can it not?"

Sheriam nodded. "And it can't be Read as easily as an outside compulsion can. But a strong compulsion will still be noticeable."

The Chosen thought for a moment. "Rather than just binding him in Air we will knock him out with the Power during the Turning itself, I will show you the weave. The compulsion will be lighter than when he has felt her fear. After Egwene is taken he can be sent elsewhere, where they do not know him and the strong compulsion will not be noticed. A good general is always useful, but he does not need to command his own troops here in Tar Valon."

Sheriam nodded. She too would hate to lose Bryne, had always planned to have him compelled at the Last Battle. It was a real pity there was no way to Turn someone who could not channel.

Working out the plan took some time, and Sheriam was relieved to notice Mesaana planned carefully and made sure of every detail. The Chosen she had met before had been as reckless as they were ruthless, making demands without thinking of the feasibility or the risks, and that had been costly. Mesaana too had been like that on her first visit, but she seemed to have been shaken out of it by the aftermath of Verin's betrayal.


	6. Reeling in the first catches

**Reeling in the first catches.**

The next afternoon Sheriam made sure to have a sizeable stack of Elaida's papers left on her desk when Egwene left her study for supper. Siuan also made to leave, but Sheriam stopped her.

"Would you help finish this up?" she asked.

Siuan scowled. "Do you mean to be at it all night?" she said, frowning at the papers.

"Only these," Sheriam said. "I feel I might be on to something related to the Red Sitters." That was a sore point, the Red Sitters who had all disappeared from the Tower. Sheriam wondered if Egwene had named Duhara to Siuan as a Black as well. Whatever the reason, Siuan's interest was piqued, or perhaps she simply did not want to leave Sheriam at the work alone. Grumbling, she sat down and picked up some of the sheets off the stack.

Shortly after, Sheriam felt the Call rod grow warm and she knew Mesaana was on her way. She stood, ostensibly to put a few papers on another stack but really to be able to move more quickly. Siuan looked up, but her attention was on the door, and Sheriam knew Mesaana and Bryne were near.

Indeed only a few moments later there was a brief knock, her door opened and Lord Bryne was led in by Mesaana, who had disguised herself as an Accepted. Sheriam greeted him neutrally.

"You wished to see me?" Bryne asked, and even though that question puzzled Siuan, it did not matter because it was as far as he got. The moment Mesaana closed the door behind her, she had embraced the Source and put a shield and bonds of Air on Siuan. Sheriam too struck out with the Power, weaving Spirit, Air and Water into Bryne the way Mesaana had taught her the previous night. The General fell and she caught him in bonds of Air before he could hit the floor. Then she quickly wove a Ward around the room, while Mesaana opened a gateway and pulled Siuan through. She followed with Lord Bryne, into the same room at the inn they had used before.

Mesaana's disguise changed into that of the tall blonde even as she walked to the head of the table, pulling the struggling Siuan effortlessly along and depositing her on the bare wood.

Sheriam registered the shock on Siuan's face, but paid it little mind as she put Bryne down in the near corner and tied off the bonds of Air securely. Then she took her place next to Mesaana, in the circle which was rapidly being formed by the other Black. They had already been waiting in the room, together with the Myrddraal who also came forward and took up position among them.

Mesaana linked and Sheriam could feel the Chosen's power, strong and steady, far more so than any of the others in the circle. Then Mesaana wove flows of Spirit, back and forth through the Myrddraal, drawing more and more of the Great Lord's essence until the original flows were pulsating and swirling with dark power. Shaping the turbulent flows into a net, Mesaana let it settle into Siuan, while simultaneously she reached out with a separate flow of Earth, Water and Fire and made a short cut, almost at the point where one would make the cut during a Stilling, but parallel to how Saidar would flow if Siuan hadn't been shielded, rather than across it.

Even as the net sank into Siuan, her struggles against the shield and bonds of Air ceased. Mesaana wove more flows, Spirit and Air and Water to bend the Oaths and re-shape them into the new Oaths to the Great Lord, but Sheriam thought this was more of an extra failsafe than true necessity. And it was easier to warp the Oaths than to break and re-weave them. With both the Great Lord's essence and the Oaths in place there was no room for doubt, and Sheriam was not surprised when Mesaana released the Shield and the bonds of Air without hesitation when the Turning was done. Mesaana dismissed the other Black as well as the Myrddraal with a wave of her hand.

Siuan sat up, slowly as if unsure she would indeed be able to. She raised one hand to her head, checked on Bryne with a glance. Then she looked at Sheriam.

"So you are of the Black."

What was it about people in stressful situations making them state the obvious? Sheriam nodded.

Siuan took a few deep breaths. "I am _glad_ of the turning, even though I know I shouldn't be." She shook her head. "What a pile of fish guts!"

Sheriam looked at Siuan, stunned by the woman's stupidity and lack of control more than by the curse itself. She opened her mouth but could not for a moment think of what to say.

Mesaana reacted quicker. She channeled, striking Siuan across the back with repeated lashes of Air, lifting her off the table and slamming her down on her knees onto the floor. She held her down, still lashing her.

"You can act like that in the Tower, for now -in fact we want you to behave as if nothing happened- but in front of me, or any of the Black, you will watch your language and show proper respect," she snapped.

"Yes, High Mistress," Siuan replied hastily, gasping. At least she had enough sense to answer promptly now, and she used the correct form of address.

"When we get back to the Tower we will wake Bryne. You will use compulsion through the bond to make him believe he just walked in. Then go about your business as usual. Sheriam will visit you in your rooms tonight to give you further instructions."

"Yes, High Mistress," Siuan replied again, and Mesaana released her. Mesaana re-assumed her disguise of Accepted, then opened the gateway back to the Tower. Sheriam picked up Bryne and they were back in her anteroom. Channeling Water, Spirit and Earth she woke Bryne, who jumped up from the floor in alarm, then halted as Siuan used her compulsion. He shook his head, looked disoriented for a moment.

"You wished to see me?" he asked.

"I did, but it is later than I thought," Sheriam replied. "Perhaps our business can wait until tomorrow."  
Bryne nodded. "Tomorrow it is."

-0-

Later that evening Sheriam traveled directly into Siuan's rooms. Siuan listened carefully to the instructions Sheriam gave her, but she clearly had trouble keeping her place. She was still abrasive in her manner and several times seemed to bite back curses at the last moment. The breaking of the Tower had done good for many Aes Sedai, had taught those from better families who had rarely left the Tower to do with less, it had taught them to stick less to traditions and old habits and to accept change and do whatever necessary. But Siuan hadn't needed those lessons, coming from a poor Tairen fisherman's family. She'd had to learn to watch her language and mind her manners as a novice, had been able to learn well enough to be Amyrlin, but it seemed she'd forgotten half of it in the time she'd been on the run. And the fact that Egwene let her get away with it didn't help.

Sheriam went over the plans for the next day as quickly as she could without getting careless about the details, then opened the gateway back to her own room. Even when they had both been Accepted and she had considered Siuan a friend, the lack of manners and control of Siuan had sometimes irritated her. And yet she had considered her a friend, once. She turned around.

"I have used you, but you were my friend when we were novices and Accepted. You must clean up your act. Egwene lets you get away with a lot, but Mesaana will not. What you got this evening is _nothing_, you do anything like that when Bryne has been brought under control or once that no longer matters, and you will regret it."

Without waiting for an answer, or checking to see whether Siuan took it as a warning or a threat, she turned once more, stepped through and let the gateway close behind her.

-0-

The next morning, Sheriam was awakened by a startled novice, her face as pale as her dress.

"Sheriam Sedai, you must come, there has been a murder," the girl squeaked. "Lennah Sedai has been killed."

Sheriam started, too. A murder, in the White Tower? That was very rare in itself, and those times it had happened, it had been the Black Ajah who was behind it. None of the Black had orders to kill this time, and if Lennah had stumbled upon something she shouldn't have, then Sheriam thought she'd have heard about it from one of the Black rather than from a novice.

She quickly got up and pulled on her dress. Then she followed the novice through the Tower to the Grey's quarters.

Several sisters were already there, Andara stood looking grim, while Dagdara and Therva just came out of Lennah's room. A number of guardsmen stood around guarding the door, Chubain with them. Egwene arrived seconds later, led here by another novice, Gawyn trailing behind her.

"There was nothing we could do, Mother," Dagdara reported. "She must have been dead some time, since late last evening."

"How?" Egwene demanded.

"She was stabbed, likely while she slept. There is no sign of any struggle, no sign she even woke up."  
Egwene started. "Stabbed? Were there any signs of channeling?"

Dagdara shook her head. "None. She was not killed with the Power."

Sheriam frowned, puzzled. She hadn't thought it was the Black, but she had still expected some kind of channeling, had thought perhaps it was Alviarin or one of the others who had ran off rather than facing the Oath Rod. If she had gone against an order from Mesaana, she wouldn't come within a hundred leagues of the Tower, but few people who couldn't channel would dare try to kill an Aes Sedai, and in the White Tower at that!

"Still it has to be the Black Ajah," Egwene said. "They know the Tower and could Travel in, who else could get in here?"

"Anyone masquerading as a servant, I'm afraid," Andara remarked. "Or even a novice, although that would be more noticeable after curfew. No one knows all the servants, or takes much notice of them."

"At least that we can ward against," Egwene decided. "Sheriam, make sure wards are placed on the gates at night, and on the entrance to each Ajah's quarters. And get Nisain to see if she can find any residue in the room or nearby."

"Yes, Mother," Sheriam replied.

She'd put Black sisters on this task, even if she didn't suspect the Black had anything to do with it, it would be better if the Black couldn't run into the wards on any other errands. And she would pick those who would place strong wards, when someone who could not channel dared attack an Aes Sedai, that could not be tolerated.

"Chubain, ask your guards if they remember who came and went last night," Egwene continued.

Chubain frowned, started to protest.

"I trust your men would have stopped anyone clearly suspicious, but perhaps something comes to mind in retrospect, anyone who was in a hurry or just left the grounds at a very late time," Egwene said, staying his protests.

Chubain nodded, gestured to one of his men, telling him to wake the men who were on duty last night.

Sheriam too sent out the required orders, and returned to her anteroom.

-0-

Not much later, she left her desk again, and made her way to the angreal store room. Siuan remained behind, working on Elaida's papers. She passed Gawyn, who was as usual hanging around in the hall. They had considered taking Egwene at the end of the day, like Siuan, but Gawyn was the most important reason they had decided to make their move earlier in the day. He followed Egwene around everywhere, even guarded her door at night even though she had protested against that, and he would be likely to become a nuisance if Egwene was held up late. But during the day he did not try to enter, knowing that there was Tower business to be done that he could have no part in. And he was not yet her Warder, he would not feel warning when Egwene was taken from the Tower.

As she walked through one corridor, it suddenly bent sharply to the left, then led to a hallway near the kitchens, and she blinked, confused for a moment that she would take a wrong turn, even if she had been gone for some months. Then she realized it was one of those instances where the Tower itself had warped. She turned back and took another way, the alternate route as familiar as ever, but it was unsettling even so.

Down in the lower levels of the Tower, she found the sisters who guarded the angreal and ter'angreal store rooms. A guard of four sisters, only one a Black, and the room was Warded to detect Travel. It made no difference, as Keeper she was allowed access to any of the angreal and ter'angreal she might want, and neither did she need to give a reason for what she took. In this case, unlike with the dream ter'angreal, the guards would report the fact that she took the long, fluted rod known as Vora's sa'angreal, either at the end of their shift or they might even make note and send a written report of it after her immediately. But Siuan would be the one to receive it in her anteroom and if any of the Sitters heard of it and considered it worth enquiring about, it would still not be important enough to disturb the Amyrlin when she was in a closed meeting with her Keeper for just a brief while. And after that it no longer mattered, Egwene would back up any reason as to why it was needed.

She pushed the long, thin rod in a pouch under her skirts -something she also would've done if she'd retrieved the sa'angreal for legitimate reasons, it would rarely be prudent for every sister she met in the halls to wonder what she or Egwene wanted it for. Thus she returned to her anteroom without a hitch. No urgent messages had been delivered in the short time she had been away, nor was anyone in the Amyrlin's study with Egwene, so she channeled into the call rod, alerting Mesaana.

Mesaana walked in almost immediately, again in her disguise as Accepted. Sheriam handed her the Sa'angreal, and Mesaana slid it up her sleeve. Sheriam took her own angreal out of her pouch and held it hidden in her hand.

"Ready?" Mesaana asked.

Sheriam nodded. "Ready."

"Keep everyone out," Mesaana told Siuan, as a confirmation of their earlier instructions.

"Yes, High Mistress," Siuan replied quickly even as she knelt. At least for once she managed to respond properly.

Sheriam knocked on the inner door leading to Egwene's study, opened it and led the way in.

"I have several new reports for you," Sheriam started, to keep Egwene's attention on her.

Mesaana followed, but while Egwene glanced at her, she did not pay as much mind to an Accepted, instead looking at Sheriam to see what she had and why she had brought anyone with her. Perhaps if she'd had more time, Egwene would've realized she had never seen this particular Accepted before, but Mesaana didn't give her that long. Like yesterday, the moment she closed the door, she grasped the Power and struck out with the shield. Egwene was strong and quick, but against Mesaana with the powerful Sa'angreal she did not stand a chance. Shock registered on her face, for only a moment since Sheriam also embraced Saidar and used the stunning weaves she had used on Bryne. Just to be sure. Egwene slumped forward onto her desk.

Sheriam wove the room ward and the gateway, then took Egwene in bonds of Air. Mesaana held only the shield. They stepped through into the inn's back room and immediately Mesaana linked with the Black sisters who were there. Sheriam too joined the circle as soon as she'd let the gateway close and put Egwene on the table. Mesaana smoothly took the bonds of Air as they linked, and only when the circle was whole and the Myrddraal were in position did Mesaana split the flows further, to change her disguise and start the turning. The Chosen wove the weaves just like the day before.

In spite of all their precautions, the angreal, sa'angreal and the Well she carried, Sheriam was glad when the essence of the Great Lord settled into Egwene. According to those who had the Talent to see, only the Dragon, Mat Cauthon and Perrin Aybara were ta'veren, and yet there was something uncanny about Egwene and Nynaeve as well. Unlike the Great Lord, there were no records of the Creator granting special abilities, longer life or other gifts to anyone except in a handful of the oldest Gleeman tales, from Ages older than the Age of Legends. But when it came to these girls, it seemed as if someone or something was on their side. Perhaps not helping them directly as the Great Lord had warned Mesaana of Verin's betrayal, but twisting even the most carefully laid plans against them. Whatever it was, it wasn't strong or quick enough this time.

Mesaana finished the Turning, weaving the flows that re-shaped the Oaths. This time she did not immediately release the shield. Mesaana had told her she was not been completely sure how the Turning worked, but she suspected it was still possible for Egwene to blindly lash out against any one of them if she woke in a panic and had no idea what she was doing. Just like the Oaths did not prevent one from speaking a lie if one did not know it was one; the way Egwene had spoken of the Tower being cleansed of the Black was only one example of many. So as she finished the weave and dismissed the circle, Mesaana woke Egwene and let go of the bonds of Air, but held the shield in place.

Egwene woke with a start, veering up to a sitting position with a wild-eyed look. Sheriam, still linked with Mesaana, could feel her push against the shield. It had been a good precaution!

Mesaana responded calmly, holding up one hand in a gesture to stay Egwene. "Easy now. I am Mesaana. Anything we're going to do to you, we've already done, and you will not be harmed as long as you follow my orders. I will release the shield, do not try to channel."

Egwene frowned, tilted her head as if she tried to feel what had happened inside her, but the initial panic was gone from her face. Then she quietly slipped off the table and knelt.

"High Lady," she said.

Sheriam looked on in approval. Egwene might be of a simple background too, she was raised far better than Siuan. The girl could be just as stubborn or more so, but she had manners and when it came down to it, she knew her place.

"The proper way to address me is High Mistress. We will take you back to the Tower where you will remain in your position, but you take your orders from us from now on," Mesaana told Egwene, even as she let the shield wink out of existence.

"Yes, High Mistress," Egwene said. She replied quickly enough, even though her voice shook.

"Get up. We will return to your study before you are missed," Mesaana said. She also released the link, and Sheriam took hold of the Source herself, seemingly only a trickle after the link with Mesaana and the sa'angreal.

Egwene got up and slowly shook her head. "So Verin was right," she said quietly, even as she followed the two of them through the gateway Mesaana opened. "And Siuan, too." She visibly started. "Siuan!"

"She was taken last night," Sheriam said. "She will not be a risk. Bryne however might be, and you will have to send them both away. Compulsion only goes so far without being noticeable."

"Good," Egwene nodded, then gasped. "I.. I can't believe I just said that! But I am glad she's been taken. I.. it's hard to believe the change runs so _deep_!"

Mesaana looked satisfied. "It works well, even better than I remembered. This will make it easier on all of us."

Egwene looked hesitantly at her desk and the ornate seat behind it.

"You may sit down," Mesaana told her. "Times are turbulent enough, never know when something will come up that will send someone rushing in here in a panic." The Chosen sat down on one of the chairs across from the Amyrlin's desk. At least Egwene had provided chairs again, Elaida had all chairs but her own replaced by hard wooden stools. Sheriam too sat down.

"The hunt for the Black will be called off, not officially of course but it will be stalled indefinitely. The letters to the various nations' leaders have already been permanently delayed," Mesaana glanced at Sheriam, "And the sisters assigned to the search will all be Black. Of course you will hand us the book Verin gave you. Did you give anyone any names from Verin's list, other than Siuan?"

"The journal and the code are in my sleeping quarters, I will retrieve them," Egwene said promptly. "I told Meidani about Alviarin, and instructed her to tell Saerin and the others who had been hunting the Black. To Siuan I only named Sheriam and Moria."

Egwene glanced at Sheriam, then quickly looked away when Sheriam threw her a hard look, not able to meet her eye. Sheriam took a deep breath as she forced herself to keep her calm. She was upset, hated what Egwene had almost done to her and she could not forget the fifteen Black sisters who were killed on Egwene's orders. On the other hand, they had all known that just being Black Ajah was punishable by death, and no Amyrlin could have done different. The most important argument was that it was simply not practical to punish Egwene. No doubt some of the Black would demand revenge and if they still did when everything was over, well, Sheriam might agree. But for now, Egwene was far too valuable as a figurehead, and any harm done to her was more risk than it was worth.

"Saerin is someone to watch, even if she knows no other names. A request to join the hunt of those who fled has been on my desk since yesterday afternoon," Sheriam remarked.

"I will deny her request," Egwene said readily.

"Hm, Saerin," Mesaana mused. "She didn't do too bad leading the defense against the Seanchan raid, even though she is not a Green. Call her in here at High today. She will be useful in the Last Battle."

"I will send her a message," Sheriam said. "And if we take more, we should take Silviana as well. The novices and Accepted can be guided from the outside, we've had to do so for the past months, but it is much easier done by the Mistress of Novices."

"See that she is here when we return with Saerin," Mesaana decided.

Sheriam acknowledged with a nod.

"Then there are those who have been working on the ter'angreal and cuendillar. Cuendillar, while valuable, really is not top priority. You will instruct them to focus on a number of specific ter'angreal which I will describe to them, and I hope with some instruction they will be able to copy angreal also. Their work will be given as the reason why we have this," Mesaana indicated the white sa'angreal. "And I do in fact want them to look into making replicas, while of course we keep ready access to it."

"Silviana will be of help with that. Several of those who have had good results are Accepted and novices," Sheriam said.

"Very well," Mesaana said. "Get those who remained in the Tower on it also, I want every sister strong enough to learn checked for particular Talents in the area. I mean to control the entire Tower before the Last Battle, but a few more rods like this, or even half as strong, will be a great advantage."

"I will send out the order," Egwene replied.

"And then Siuan and Bryne. As far as the Hall of the Tower is concerned, Bryne will be sent to the various rulers to start a combined campaign against the Seanchan. A quite sensible and believable cover after the raid. In truth, he will be put in charge of the Warders and other non-Channelers who are not in the Tower. The Black who had to leave the Tower are spread over two locations right now but they can Travel and meet up. Most assuredly, Bryne must be away from here, for the time being. Call him in as soon as I have gone, Sheriam will handle the gateway."

Again Egwene nodded.

"Then I have covered the most important points. I will come for the taking of Saerin and Silviana, and also every morning and evening. If anything comes up in the meantime, anything at all, you check with Sheriam before making a decision," Mesaana finished, getting up.

"Yes, High Mistress," Egwene replied as she too stood and made a deep curtsy.

With a slight shimmer, Mesaana changed her Mask of Mirrors and assumed the disguise of Accepted again. She put the sa'angreal on Egwene's desk and left.

"I will tell Siuan to get Bryne. Give him the cover orders; he will need to retrieve his bags and hand over command of his men who are to remain here, and it will be best when he does so with as little compulsion as possible. The orders regarding the angreal and ter'angreal will go out after Silviana's taking," Sheriam said.

Egwene nodded quickly. "Yes, Sheriam."

An Amyrlin who had been disposed for whatever reason had always been exiled, but Egwene was young and there had never been a situation like this before. Perhaps if Egwene minded her manners she might be able to remain, with her strength and Talents she would be an asset for the Tower as long as she knew her place. And yes, she was thinking of the Tower again, but it would be their Tower now. She went out of Egwene's study into her anteroom.

"Has anyone been in?" she asked Siuan.

"Romanda was here," Siuan replied. "She demanded to see the Amyrlin, and was quite unhappy to be kept waiting. She said she will be back later. Also several reports were brought in, the White and the Green have decided on their Sitters."

Sheriam glanced at the reports, noted with satisfaction that Velina had kept her position as Sitter, but it also annoyed her Siuan had obviously read the papers. It was a good thing Siuan would be sent away.

"Get Bryne, we have our orders for him," she snapped.

Siuan finally seemed to notice she'd gone to far. "Yes, Sheriam," she replied and left in a hurry.


	7. If it works, use it

**If it works, use it.**

Siuan returned quickly, and the orders were passed on without a hitch. Bryne agreed readily to go on the presumed mission. While he had done a good job leading their army, here Chubain was captain of the Tower Guard and there was really no pressing reason for Bryne to remain in the Tower itself.

Then it was time for dinner, and Sheriam left her anteroom with no concern that Siuan might find anything about the Black among her papers. Even before Verin's betrayal she had sometimes worried Siuan might find something amiss, might discover some reports she had held back or other discrepancies. She was careful to leave as little trace of her tampering as possible, and Siuan was far out of line in going through her things, but the constant presence and nosiness of Siuan had been annoying to say the least. There was no such concern now, and Sheriam ate calmly, taking the time she needed to sustain her body now sleep was so often in short supply.

When she returned she checked in with Egwene. Egwene had retrieved Verin's journal from her rooms, and Sheriam took it. Egwene showed her the Bookstrap and the code book which was needed to decipher the notes. There was no time to read it all right then, of course, but Sheriam glanced at a few entries while Egwene translated with the code book, and leafed through the journal getting a feel of the extend of the information Verin had written. How had the woman gathered so much detail? She had not even set herself up in a need-to-know position. Who all had said too much, and who had been responsible for allowing Verin to join in the first place? She knew not all recruiters were as careful who they initiated into the Black as Moria was. If there ever was time for such a thing again, she would look further into it, for now what counted was that they had secured the journal. She put the Bookstrap around it and put it in her belt pouch, ready to hand to Mesaana when she got here.

Mesaana arrived soon after and instructed Egwene. Sheriam would remain in the Tower, rather than take part in the actual turning, there was no need for them all to be gone and leave the anteroom unmanned.

Saerin arrived at the appointed time, and Sheriam let her into Egwene's study. Saerin was effortlessly shielded and carried off. It was so easy to catch any single sister without a Warder, Sheriam found it hard to understand why this had not been used long before.

She went back to her own desk, catching up with the regular Tower business concerning supplies, repairs and whatnot. She checked the requested fees of the stone masons, adjusted the most ambitious ones down a little. The Tower's coffins were vast, but not unlimited, and Elaida's excesses had taken their toll.

Shortly Silviana came in and took a seat on one of the chairs for visitors to wait. Silviana looked much better than she had a couple days ago, although she still looked thinner than Sheriam remembered her. But then many of them did, she herself had lost weight since the breaking of the Tower.

"While I am here, I would like to schedule the Accepted test for Sharina," Silviana mentioned.

Sheriam glanced at Silviana, caught by surprise. There had been so much else to occupy her, and even the 'regular' Tower business she was working on now was not really the same that had once been called such; it now included supplies for the army and a Tower Guard several times the size it had been at any time since the Trolloc Wars, repairs to be made after the Seanchan raid and other things that would hardly have been called 'regular' a few years ago. Of course, after months away from the Tower proper and the three arches ter'angreal, there would be some ready to take the test.

"She has the strength and the life experience," Silviana said, taking Sheriam's silence as a request for a further explanation. "She hasn't been channeling long but she will be able to study better as an Accepted."

Sheriam nodded, still a little distractedly. Of course Silviana was right, that wasn't the point. But what would the arches show? Of course what one saw in the arches wasn't real, but it was closely related to reality, could hint at it and more. Would Sharina see anything that would alert her to what was going on, or was it needless to worry about that? The arches had been used for hundreds of years, and all that time the Black had been in the Tower, but they had never launched an offensive on this scale before. How much could be explained away by the fact that the Last Battle was near?

Also Egwene would be expected to be there for the testing, they were so busy already! And Sharina wouldn't be the only one in the near future either, not with such a huge inflow of new novices, many of them older and better suited to independent study as an Accepted than in the novice classes. She wondered how it had been in older times when the Tower had held hundreds of novices and Accepted, had the Amyrlin personally attended every Accepted test then? She would have one of the Browns look it up, Lairain was an expert when it came to ceremonies of all sorts.

In spite of these concerns, it would be difficult to deny the request. It really was the Mistress of the Novices who had the final say of who was ready to take the test, asking her to schedule the test was a practical matter more than a request for permission. And more importantly, it would attract notice if none of the stronger novices were allowed to take the test now that they had access to the Arches again. Any sensible Amyrlin would push the novices and Accepted at a time like this, an Amyrlin like Egwene, who had been pushed so fast herself, even more.

"Tomorrow afternoon before Supper," she said.

After the turning, she'd instruct her to use all Black sisters to work the arches, just in case.

"Thank you," Silviana replied. "She will be ready."

Sheriam did not doubt it, Silviana was a typical Red in her opinion of men and Warders, but she was sensible in other ways. Sharina would be there and would be as ready as anyone could ever be for the Accepted test. She marked the time down and was just about to turn back to the other paperwork when the door to her anteroom opened and Romanda strode in.

The Yellow Sitter had her grey hair done in a severe bun, pulled back so tightly it made Sheriam's scalp crawl just to look at it. Or perhaps it was Romanda herself who caused that sensation, the woman had to be one of the most aggravating people Sheriam had ever had the displeasure of working with. Romanda and Lelaine, who came in second only because she was a Blue and that meant they agreed on matters just a little more often.

This time, too, Romanda didn't bother with even basic courtesies. Without so much of a greeting, she demanded to see Egwene.

"The Amyrlin is in a meeting with Saerin, and then will meet with Silviana. You will have to wait," Sheriam told her.

"A Sitter outranks the Mistress of Novices," Romanda pointed out.

"But the Amyrlin outranks you, and she has requested to see Silviana, not the other way around," Sheriam replied, her voice a lot calmer than she felt.

"Did that blasted woman not tell you I was here this morning already? And now you tell me to wait again?" Romanda argued.

"Siuan did mention it. She also mentioned you left. If you'd waited, you would have been able to see the Amyrlin before Dinner, but now I am afraid you will have to wait your turn. Please have a seat," Sheriam told her curtly.

For a moment it seemed Romanda would sit down, but at that moment the door to Egwene's study opened and Saerin came out, still looking a bit dazed from what had just happened to her, but Romanda was far too self-centered to notice that. As soon as she saw the door to Egwene's study was open, she started forward and it was only with a quick intervention that Sheriam managed to step in front of her, blocking her way.

"I said you will have to wait," she said sharply.

"And I do not wish to wait on a Mistress of the Novices, who has only been in that function for a matter of days. I am very busy and I simply must see the Amyrlin."

She was very busy? With plotting and scheming, no doubt. And did she really think Silviana was any less busy, what with all the new novices who had come to the Tower recently? Truly, the woman was impossible. There was one way to put an end to this.

"Very well, I will tell the Amyrlin you wish to see her," she snapped. She stepped back and made a half-turn into Egwene's study, without leaving enough room for Romanda to push her way in just yet. "Mother, Romanda is here and she insists on seeing you right away. She is very persistent." From the corner of her eye, she watched for Mesaana's reaction rather than Egwene's. Mesaana gave her a nod.

"You can see her," Sheriam said, sounding displeased. With an apologetic glance at Silviana, she stepped aside, allowing Romanda to sweep into Egwene's study, and just to be sure, she followed.

Romanda saw Mesaana, frowned only for a moment, then started. "Mother, I must protest…" She never did get any further than that, for at the click of the door, Mesaana had her shielded and bound. Sheriam enjoyed the look of utter shock on her face as Egwene wove the Gateway to the Ivory Shell, and it was only with regret that she remained behind. She would have liked to see Romanda's face when she saw the Myrddraal. But there was no need for her with Romanda successfully shielded. As soon as the gateway closed, she returned to her anteroom.

"I am sorry, Silviana," she said as she walked back to her desk. "It will not be very long."

Silviana grimaced, but did not protest. "I understand."

And it did not take long before Romanda reappeared. The Sitter also had that slightly dazed look in her eye, before she composed herself and strode off into the hall, and Silviana looked at her strangely, but that in itself was not a problem. Egwene had this way of coming up with ways to baffle the best of them. Perhaps if Silviana had been in here for any other reason, she might later wonder what had caused the Sitter to look so out of sorts, might even have spoken of it, but in a little while that would no longer be an issue. Silviana would know, and she wouldn't speak of it. Sheriam gestured at the door.

"You can go in now."

"Thank you," Silviana replied respectfully as she got up and walked into Egwene's study. She really wasn't too bad for a Red.

Sheriam continued her paperwork. An Accepted arrived with a new message listing the Sitters for the Grey, and she wondered what had taken them so long. Since Delana and Evanellein both had fled, they only had one extra. Now only the Yellow was left to make their choice known, and Sheriam expected she knew at least two of the three. She had little doubt Romanda would remain, and now Romanda was theirs Sedore would also certainly keep her seat.

Then the door to Egwene's study opened again and Silviana came out. Just like she had in the Hall, even when she had been led in in chains, Silviana's face betrayed nothing of what had just happened.

"I was told to report to you," she said calmly.

Sheriam wove a light ward on the door, enough to stop anyone from overhearing but not enough to make anyone wonder what could be amiss.

"There are quite a number of novices and Accepted who are Friends of the Dark. Margory has kept an eye on those in Salidar and on the road. Here Katerine did, even before she was appointed in your place, and we do not know where she is, but Margory knows all of those I knew before the split. You can approach the Black sisters as long as you are careful about warding the room, but use the Mask of Mirrors when you need to speak to any of the novices or Accepted. They are not bound yet."

"I understand," Silviana replied.

"You will also get those who make cuendillar and show promise for the making of ter'angreal at a few different items, I will give you a list of what to work on. Any working items are of course to be handed over to me or directly to Mesaana."

Silviana nodded. "Of course, Sheriam."

"Sharina's Accepted test can be held as planned, but I will pick those who work the arches and who will be present at the final ceremony, and if she comes out and has seen too much, you will not interfere."

Silviana looked sick, and Sheriam quickly reassured her.

"She won't be harmed," she said. She would see to it that Sharina was either captured or turned if such was necessary. The woman might be untrained but she was strong, far too strong to waste.

Silviana nodded, clearly relieved.

"Dismissed," Sheriam said. Silviana left and she herself went into Egwene's study.

"That went really well. Three more key figures who are ours," Mesaana said. "Also, Saerin had important news. She, Yukiri and Seaine have been experimenting with the Oath Rod to see if it could be beaten somehow. They came up with some rather creative theories, have so far overlooked the actual solution but they must of course be stopped. Yukiri and Seaine will be here shortly, I told Silviana to send for them. It can't be long before they discover they have been overlooking the obvious."

Sheriam narrowed her eyes. "I wonder what put them up to it, it seemed the sisters trusted the results of the test."

"I did not order them to," Egwene said. "I meant to, but I had no time. Perhaps they had reason to believe Mesaana was in the Tower from what they discovered in their Black Ajah hunt."

"I just hope no others show such initiative," Sheriam remarked. "But Yukiri and Seaine should cause no trouble once turned."

"We will take the other Sitters who do not have Warders as well, they are taken easily enough and it will limit the risk of another one forgetting her manners and barging in here as if it's a Kemali ale house," Mesaana said.

Sheriam nodded. Then something occurred to her, something that would stop both the pushy ones like Romanda, as well as any others who held creative theories. "Why stop at the Sitters? Could we handle much larger numbers -like every full sister?"

"That's…," Mesaana started, then paused. "Hm, a truly loyal army of channelers, with no concern they may break free of who controls them and turn on us. It's feasible, the weave is not difficult to learn and those who are turned can help take the rest. It is most straining on the Myrddraal, but there are plenty of those. It can't be done at the inn of course, the room is not large enough and we need a location which is far enough away from populated areas that there is little risk of detection, even if we have multiple circles channeling at the same time."

"The Kandori farm should have some large rooms, the barns if nothing else, and it is secluded," Sheriam said. "But I would rather not lead all the gateways we are going to need to the place where the weaker exposed sisters are."

"I may have a place in mind, if that does not work out we will use the farm. In any case, those who can read residue will be a priority, perhaps even those with Warders. Their men do not hold such a public position as Bryne did, and individual sisters can be sent off it they have too much trouble controlling their Warders," Mesaana said. "We will call them in immediately after the Sitters."

"We won't have to call the sisters in here one by one, many of the Black are strong enough they ought to be able to take those close to them, especially if they work in pairs," Sheriam suggested.

"We will work it out and call the Supreme Council together tonight," Mesaana decided.

Yukiri and Seaine arrived shortly after, and were taken without a hitch. Seaine seemed more taken aback by the fact she had overlooked such a simple method to beat the Oath Rod than by the taking itself -of course, this was after the turning was done, and the turning included acceptance of one's new allegiance.

-0-

Just as she was about to finish for the day, a second murder was reported. Molley Beckari, a young Brown who had remained in the Tower, was found in the library. This death had been recent, the blood still fresh and the body warm. Yet it was too late for Healing, and it quickly became clear no one had seen anything out of the ordinary. Not that most of the Brown would notice a stranger unless he was swinging his knife openly in the halls, Sheriam thought. More wards were set, and Akkarin, who was a Brown, joined Nisain in the investigation. No traces of channeling were found, other than the weaves of Salita and Talva, who had been the first to respond to the outcry and had tried to save Molley.

-0-

The Council met and they were only a small group. Alviarin, Galina, Talene, Evanellein, Katerine, Marillin and Delana were all gone, so the only ones left were Moria, Dagdara, Velina, Sedore, Leesa -who had Traveled in from the Kandori farm- and herself. And Mesaana, of course. It was strange to meet without a disguise, the only one who still wore a Mask of Mirrors was Mesaana, who appeared as the tall blonde. The other Council members eyed her uncertainly. They all knew who she was, now, even if she still hid her true appearance, and it clearly made them uneasy. Understandably. All knelt respectfully as they entered.

"First order of business, I want you all to speak freely. Within reason of course. But mistakes have been made by others of the Chosen that could have been avoided if they had had more information. I do not want that to happen, if you have a concern about our plans, speak up," Mesaana instructed them.

Restless glances all around showed the Council members weren't eager to put this to the test.

"I will be more than displeased if my plans fail because any of you was too cowardly to point out a flaw," the Chosen told them, and finally there came reluctant nods.

Sheriam briefly outlined the situation. It would be marginally easier for the Council members to speak if she told them the plan than if Mesaana did. "The Amyrlin is ours, as are Siuan, Silviana, Romanda, Saerin, Saeine and Yukiri. The other Sitters will be taken as well. After that, we want you all to take those close to you who have no Warders, all other Aes Sedai who do not have a bond will be turned."

"All who don't have a Warder?" Sedore started. She glanced uncomfortably at Mesaana but still continued "Can't we control them some other way? There are many of us."

"There are still many sisters with Warders, it will be hard enough to control them. In fact we will take a good many of them also, but as late as possible, to minimize the risk one of the Warders will break free from compulsion or the compulsion will be discovered," Sheriam said. "In the Last Battle we will be up against the Dragon's forces, we should have as little as possible to worry about from within the Tower."

"And what will happen afterwards? We who have served the Great Lord for years, will we have to share our power with these newcomers, who wouldn't even have joined voluntarily?" Velina asked.

"Once the entire world is mine, there will be many positions of power. All places now held by various Kings and Queens with at most one Aes Sedai 'advisor'," Mesaana spat the words, "Shall then be held by us. And I will remember who was of the Black."

Moria looked doubtful. "From what I understand, those who have been turned are fully dedicated. Now even though we are sworn to serve the Great Lord, many of the Black had their own reasons to join, worked for their own interests next to those of the Black. And we can't even be sure there isn't another traitor in our midst, although I doubt anyone will try the same trick Verin used again."

She had a point, Sheriam had to admit, and she cursed herself for not thinking of it. She herself had juggled so many interests only a few days ago! And there was no guarantee there weren't any other traitors among them, she sure had not expected it of Verin. But that was why they had the Council, and why Mesaana had told them to speak their thoughts.

"A valid concern," she replied. "Then we should prove ourselves, Egwene's idea with the Oath Rod was sound, even if her method was, fortunately, flawed." She looked at Mesaana. "Could the turning be used on us as well?"

She noticed some uneasy stirrings from the other Council members, apprehension she likely would have shared until very recently, but Mesaana clearly liked the idea. She nodded.

"Yes, it could be done. The last part of the weave is different of course, but that is the case for anyone who isn't held by the Oath Rod."

"Then we should do it," Sheriam decided. "I will go first myself."

Moria shifted in her chair, opened her mouth but closed it again. Sedore also looked as if she wanted to protest, glanced at Mesaana and said nothing.

"If you have a concern, speak up," Mesaana said, noticing their looks.

"No," Sedore said carefully. "Well.. It does no harm?"

Mesaana shook her head. "It will not. The Great Lord's essence can even protect you from some influences. It is certainly less harmful than the binder, the Oath Rod. You _do_ know what it does, don't you?"

Sedore nodded. The effect of the Oaths, in appearance and longevity, had of course become obvious when the very first of the Black broke theirs, and it was one of the Black Ajah's greatest frustrations that they had never discovered a way to fake the negative effects, even in part. Even the most dedicated of the Black had to swear to the Great Lord, not just to ensure their obedience but also to avoid standing out like a sore thumb, and even while they knew it cost them years of their life.

"It must be done," Velina said, and Leesa nodded a brisk agreement. Not only were those two likely the most dedicated to the Great Lord of those who were here, but they were also White. They would be the first to see what was necessary.

Slowly, nods came from the others too. Not that their agreement was strictly needed, not with Mesaana present, and they may have put up more of a protest if the Chosen hadn't been there, but even so, Sheriam was glad they reached a kind of consensus.

"While we have channelers and Myrddraal, it will put a strain on the time we have, I do not think we have many months before the Last Battle," Mesaana said. "Do not wait with the Sitters and the residue-readers until we are done with the Black. I will gather the Myrddraal. You find seven strong Black who will not be missed if they are frequently absent the next few days, and be at the inn in an hour. No, make that six and a sister who is held by the Oaths, so I can show how to weave that part."

All acknowledged and as Mesaana opened a gateway and left, and Sheriam quickly instructed the others who to gather. She knew whom she wanted, the same she had gathered that first evening at the camp. If those who had remained in the Tower disliked her choice, that was just too bad. Siuan proved that even while she would be able to trust anyone not to betray the Black, they would still be the same person underneath, and she much rather worked with those who had been in camp than with those who had remained with Elaida.

The selected sisters were gathered, and Sheriam took Moria and Velina with her as she went to see Carlinya. As she had hoped, the White was alone in her quarters. Regretfully she was the only one of her small group of Salidar leaders who had no Warder, she would like to take Morvrin too, and Myrelle, if those who had gone to the Black Tower were ever to return.

With a pang of sadness she thought of Anaiya, and she wondered why Halima had not turned her instead of killing her. She -and Kairen too- could have backed up Halima's cover while their deaths, in the end, only caused her as well as Delana to be exposed. Of course if that had happened she might still be reporting to Halima, or worse, to both Chosen, who may well give conflicting orders. She had heard tales of that happening before, with extremely unpleasant results.

No, there was a war on, and some would die, there was no helping that. She should not forget that Anaiya, if she had known Sheriam was a Black, would have watched her execution just like all the non-Black sisters had watched the execution of the fifteen who were caught, with anger, righteous satisfaction, and likely very little regret.

Carlinya of course let them in without protest, somewhat surprised by their late visit, but who would refuse two Sitters and the Keeper, or suspect anything like this, especially so soon after they had all sworn on the Oath Rod? It was going to be easy to take most of the sisters, although they should remain vigilant, overconfidence could kill. Even non-Black sisters held back angreal or ter'angreal sometimes, and while Wells were rare, there was no guarantee no one else held one.

But not Carlinya. Her expression was one of surprise, not even real shock or horror until they had taken her through the gateway and she saw the Myrddraal.

They had been quick, but so was everyone else, no one in their right mind wanted to be late to an appointment with one of the Chosen. It was well within the hour when they were all present and Mesaana gathered them into the circle.

Using Carlinya, Mesaana wove the turning slower than any previous times, explaining what she did at every step. It was not a very complicated weave, most of its power came from the Myrddraal and the circle, more than from the intricacy of the weave itself.

As Carlinya got up from the table, shaking and pale but otherwise unharmed, Sheriam let go of the link. While Velina drew Carlinya into the circle and told her what was required of her, Mesaana looked around.

"Who first?"

The Black glanced around, then Dagdara raised her hand. "I will."

For a moment, Sheriam wished Mesaana herself would do the turning, she had not realized one of the others would. Then, she had just considered the weave not too difficult, she would not hesitate to take the lead herself. She stepped between the Myrddraal -strange how quickly she had gotten used to being around them!- and laid down on the table.

She saw the flows Dagdara wove, back and forth between the Myrddraal until the net was pulsing with power. Then the thin flows of Earth, Water and Fire reached out towards her, slower than Mesaana's had been, she had to trust Dagdara to be careful. A moment later there was a short prickling, then the net settled into her from above. She took a sharp breath as she felt the Great Lord's essence in every part of her body, ecstasy as she had rarely felt. The strong sensation faded quickly, but a trickle remained, setting deep inside her. It reminded her vaguely of the Warder bond. Not that she could feel the actual emotions of the Great Lord, that would overwhelm her, but there was a trace of awareness.

With that, Dagdara released the flows, as she was already bound by the _other_ Oaths, and Sheriam smiled as she got up. She felt invigorated by the essence of the Great Lord, and the weave was surprisingly painless, seeing how it had been invented by Semirhage. Perhaps the Chosen had considered it enough to watch the horror of those who did not come voluntarily, or maybe Semirhage had added additional weaves that Mesaana left out, like she was said to have done while Healing.

"Who goes next?" she asked.

Moria came forward, looking less apprehensive now that she had gone first. Sheriam rejoined the circle as soon as Moria let go of the link, and after a glance around, took the lead.

Being part of a circle this size and strength was already a rare pleasure, leading one was even more rare. Sheriam wove the flows of the turning, then regretfully passed on control of the circle to Sedore, as Dagdara took Moria's place on the table. In a way she envied the others, while they could do the turning and work in the circles, she would most often have to remain at the Tower, like she had earlier that day.

After the sixth turning, Velina's, Mesaana switched out the Myrddraal, using Saidar to cast a shadow for the Fades to travel through. The Myrddraal, visibly fatigued, left and fresh ones took their place.

"Do not use the Myrddraal for more than six circles without giving them time to rest," Mesaana cautioned, even as she opened a gateway and showed them where the Myrddraal came from. "Any Black can open the gateway and request a group, but do not go nosing around among their barracks. Also, do not open a gateway to their barracks directly from the Tower until either Sheriam or I have let you know everyone who can read residue is secured, including Accepted and novices who have that Talent."

Nods all around, after which the turning resumed.

Even though the first time weaving was slow, they were done in time to have about half a night sleep left. Sheriam had little to say to brief Carlinya, instead left her in the care of the others who would be doing the turning the next few days. She would be useful there.


	8. The Dragon in their midst

**The Dragon in their midst.**

Sheriam sat at one of the long tables in the dining hall eating breakfast. It was still early, but not as early as she would have liked. There was always more work to be done. In spite of the hour, there were quite a number of sisters already up, eating their own breakfast or already on their way out. Many wore their shawls, even here, even at this hour, especially those who had remained here at the Tower with Elaida, and also many of the Red and the Blue. They hadn't had such a strife between the Ajahs at the camp, but the tension at the Tower had been great, and it had not simply evaporated on Egwene's orders. Neither the Red nor the Blue would forget the split any time soon.

She had almost finished her meal when she felt the bond, Arinvar's level of alertness soaring. She glanced around, noticed several other sisters do the same thing. Dropping her spoon into the nearly empty bowl, she got up and strode out.

She had not gone far when Chubain approached her, looking harried.

"Keeper! The Dragon is here, in the Tower," he said urgently.

Sheriam started. "Here? Did he Travel in?" They had to find some way to prevent that, their own actions of the last few days had shown how easy it was to come and go unnoticed. Even a place like the Tower would be impossible to defend if other channelers like the Dragon, the Asha'man or anyone else, would simply open a Gateway right into the building.

Chubain looked uneasy. "Not directly into the Tower. He must have entered the city somewhere else, he walked up to the Sunset Gate and.. Well, he just said he was the Dragon Reborn, and that he wanted to see the Amyrlin. Didn't shout it out or anything, just said it calm as spring rain."

Sheriam frowned. At least a calm approach at one of the gates boded well, when he could have opened a Gateway within the Tower grounds itself.

"And where is he now?"

"Still in the entrance hall, Sheriam Sedai," Chubain replied. "Shielded by a full circle, I think some were forming a second circle to make sure, and a group of my men and Warders has also gathered to guard him."

There was no doubt about that last part of the statement, she still felt Arinvar's high alertness. Damn him and the other Warders too for being so stubborn, as if they could do anything at all against the Dragon if he were to try something! Warders were useful in some situations, but a direct threat from a powerful channeler should -could- only be handled by sisters alone. Of course there was no use telling the Warders that, they would die trying. Which was exactly the problem. Well hopefully it would not come to that here.

"Does the Amyrlin know yet?" she asked.

"I was on my way to tell her myself when I ran into you, Keeper," he said.

Sheriam nodded. "I will tell her. Have the Dragon wait where he is, it may be a while. I do not know if the Amyrlin is awake yet."

She needed time to hopefully contact Mesaana, and also it would not do to appear too eager to cater to the Dragon's whims. Dragon or no, this was the White Tower, and Aes Sedai ruled here. As long as he was not tearing the place down, it was better to make him wait a few minutes more rather than less; it would strengthen the Amyrlin's position in the upcoming talk and negotiations.

"I will let him know," Chubain said, even as he bowed, turned and strode back the other way.

Sheriam flagged down the first novice she saw, a middle-aged woman with a long black hair, but dressed in novice white. "Get my stole from my anteroom," she instructed. "And wait with it at the doors to the Great Hall."

The woman sprinted off and Sheriam went to Egwene's rooms. The Tower was stirring, word going around like wildfire. There would not be much time to prepare.

Gawyn was in front of Egwene's rooms as he had been since they had retaken the Tower. Didn't he ever need some real rest? Sheriam thought she hadn't even seen him depart from his post to relieve himself, but he must do that occasionally. She wondered briefly what the boy would do if he knew that his vigilant watch had been futile and Egwene had already been taken. He seemed dedicated to the Light, but he was also completely smitten with Egwene, and had defied his duties to Elaida for her. Sheriam thought it quite possible he would follow Egwene even if he did learn what had happened. The risk was too great, of course, they would hide her new allegiance until the Last Battle. She returned Gawyn's polite bow with a brisk nod as she passed.

"Are you awake, Mother?" She knocked on Egwene's door, cracked it open as Egwene called 'come'.

Egwene was still in her shift, apparently just getting up. Fortunately no one else was there, not even her maid. Chesa was a Friend of the Dark, Sheriam herself had picked her for Egwene, but the young woman was not near high enough to be included in what they needed to discuss. She stepped inside, closed the door and wove a quick ward.

"Get dressed quickly. The Dragon Reborn is here, and he wants to see you." She no longer bothered with a formal address when they were alone, Egwene was Amyrlin in name only. As had been the plan all along.

"Rand?" Egwene started.

Sheriam nodded, even as she channeled into the Call Rod and forestalled Egwene's motion toward the bell cord. "No maids, I will help with the buttons."

Egwene nodded. She turned to her clothes chest, pulled on a fresh shift and a green velvet dress with lace and embroidery, more fancy than the ones she had usually worn in the camp, more fitting her station as Amyrlin. Sheriam approved, a visual reminder of Egwene's status was very important. It was good if the Dragon trusted her as a childhood friend, but not if he didn't realized her current station. Or her presumed current station.

Sheriam had done up most of the buttons and Egwene reached for her hair brush before the Eye and gateway opened, and Mesaana arrived.

Sheriam curtsied deeply, Egwene fell to her knees.

"What is it?" Mesaana asked. She sounded somewhat disturbed, probably she had still been asleep, but apprehensive as well. The Chosen would know that Sheriam would only call her for good reason.

"The Dragon is here," Sheriam reported. "He wants to see Egwene."

For a moment Mesaana was silent, frowning.

"Damn," she said then. "A few more days and we'd have the numbers we could take him. But I don't know of any way to get a full circle around him that is all Black, without others interfering." She glanced at Sheriam.

"No, I don't either." She shook her head. The Amyrlin would be expected to receive the Dragon in the Great Hall, they could seal the meeting to the Hall but not dismiss half the Sitters. And if they made him come to Egwene's study, they still couldn't form an all-Black circle in there.

"Then you will receive him and find out what he has come here for. Do you have any idea what he wants?" Mesaana asked, turning to Egwene. She added, "Get up and continue to get ready."

Egwene rose and shook her head. "No, I haven't seen him for quite a long time. But it's not likely he has come to ask for help or advise, even now it is me rather than Elaida or Siuan on the Amyrlin Seat. He always was stubborn and he has tried to stay free from Aes Sedai ties from the very start, it is more likely he considers himself strong enough to make demands from us now. I will dissuade him of that notion, of course," she added quickly.

She took her brush and brushed her hair while Sheriam finished doing up the last buttons.

Mesaana looked pensive, tapping her lip as she often seemed to do when in thought.

"See if you can gauge how he is, how far the Taint and the chaos have affected him. Also see if you can set up another meeting, at another place if necessary. Tell him that whatever he wants, it needs to be talked over with the Hall and you, together with a small delegation, will meet with him at a later time. If all else fails, see if you can arrange some contact with the Aes Sedai who are with him -or on second thought, do so in any case. And do not seal the meeting to the Hall, I want to see him myself."

Egwene nodded. "Yes, High Mistress." Then she paused as she put her brush back on the table. "He is such a strong ta'veren. Won't that be dangerous? What if he makes me say or do something I do not want to."

Mesaana shook her head. "Not likely. There have been Black Ajah around him, and none have revealed themselves. Nor can he see or feel the Turning -there was a weave for that, but even if he remembers it, he will not be allowed to channel, of course." The Chosen glanced at Sheriam.

"He is shielded, and will be until he leaves the Tower grounds," she confirmed.

"Ta'veren are always unpredictable, but he nor anyone else can see who is a Friend of the Dark just by looking at them. Even Sniffers can only smell recent violence, not the Great Lord's touch itself," Mesaana said.

Egwene sighed in relief, even as she looked over the jewelry on her dresser and picked out a richly worked silver belt and a silver and green hand ornament. She put them on, then last of all picked up the multicolored stole.

Sheriam looked Egwene over critically, and was satisfied with her appearance. The timing seemed about correct also, for as far as she could judge without having seen the Dragon, and his demeanor, for herself. She glanced at Mesaana, who nodded.

"Go."

Mesaana Traveled, and as soon as the gateway closed, Sheriam opened the door to the hall.

Out in the open once again, Sheriam fell into step beside Egwene. Gawyn of course followed as if he were the Amyrlin's Warder already.

They walked without speaking until they turned a corner and the tile of the corridor ahead of them was colored red, where it should have been white. It glistened as if wet, almost as if it were covered in blood, but there were no pools and splashes like there would be if there really had been some kind of slaughter. It had to be another one of these bubbles of chaos.

They stopped, and Gawyn reached for his sword, but Egwene held up her hand.

"No, Gawyn, this isn't anything that can be fought with a blade."

What was it with men, that they wanted to fight everything with their sword? Sheriam could still feel Arinvar's tension, and she knew he would be among those guarding the Dragon. At least Egwene was sensible in this respect.

"There seem to be less occurrences than there were," Egwene noted, even as they turned away and took a different route to the Great Hall. "But they still happen. Can't we ward against them in some manner?"

"They are a sign of the Dark One's touch. Like the bubbles of evil that time at Salidar, but more spread out," Sheriam replied. "It can happen so often here because it is drawn to chaos, and there certainly was lots of that while Elaida held the Tower. But indeed, there are already less reports of these incidents now that the Tower is whole again, they should grow rarer still, and perhaps stop entirely."

She could answer this truthfully, and she thought the situation would stabilize soon. It was chaos that attracted these happenings, not the Great Lord's essence. Nor was it intelligent. It was a mindless thing, something that neither could nor would care about the sisters' allegiance.

"I hope so," Egwene replied. She halted as they saw a novice walk the other way. "A little back and to the left, the corridor has turned red. Get some cord -the masons should have that- and rope off the corridor before someone wanders onto it."

The novice was a young woman, she looked to be in her late twenties. Sheriam had given up keeping track of all the new arrivals and did not know her name. Spreading her skirts, the novice made a deep curtsy. "Yes, Mother, " she said and dashed off.

"A sensible precaution," Sheriam remarked. Whether the strange floor would actually harm anyone she didn't know, but she wouldn't take the risk herself.

As they came near the Great Hall, there were many more Aes Sedai in the corridors. Word must now have spread through the entire Tower. In front of the doors to the Hall, a large group had gathered. She spotted the novice woman she had sent out earlier, and she took the blue stole, draping it around her shoulders. No matter that most sisters wore their shawls, Sheriam had not worn her stole to breakfast, she did not even wear it most of the time when she worked in her anteroom. Apart from Romanda, all sisters had given her proper respect since they had returned, and she felt less loyalty to the Blue now than she had before. Perhaps some day she would be able to wear her true colors. Not yet though. The sisters who even now stepped back to make way for Egwene and her would turn on her like lightning if they knew.

They entered the Great Hall and Sheriam saw the Sitters were all there. Three now of each Ajah, the Yellow had also made their choices known late last evening and Romanda, Sedore and Doesine were seated on the Yellow chairs. Doesine had been involved in the hunt for the Black Ajah, but she did not have a Warder, she would be taken soon enough. Only the Red chairs were still empty. No one seemed to know where the Red Sitters had gone to, and the Red were reluctant to replace the absent Sitters. Sheriam considered it good riddance and hadn't encouraged replacements, although of course it was ridiculous that all Sitters of one Ajah were excluded from the Hall's decisions at a time like this. If it had been any other Ajah she would have suggested Egwene order them to pick at least one or two sisters to represent their interests.

The Hall itself looked better now that the rose window was done. There was no hiding the fact that the Tower had taken great damage only a few days ago, but the masons had worked day and night, literally, working in shifts by great balls of light woven with the Power. The Power had also been used to dry the masonry at each stage, and no matter what the state of the rest of the Tower, at least the Great Hall was whole again.

Egwene had also glanced around the Hall, had seen all Sitters were present. She called over the novice woman who had brought Sheriam's stole, who was still standing nearby.

"Go to the entrance hall and tell Chubain to bring the Dragon here, child," she instructed.

The novice ran off, and Egwene make her way to the Amyrlin Seat, and Sheriam followed her to her own seat.

"So the Dragon has finally come," Yukiri said. "I don't suppose we can hold him?"

Egwene shook her head. "Not against his will. Apart from his own strength, he controls a number of armies only a fool would challenge."

"So what does he want?" Lelaine wanted to know.

Egwene threw up her hands. "I do not know, it has been some time since I have seen him. We will listen to him and see what he has to say. He is the Dragon Reborn and has great influence, as much or more as any monarch. Of course, none of that means he will be allowed to make demands of us."

Several Sitters nodded.

"Some of us should go with him," Andara said. "Keep tabs on him and send regular reports to the Tower."

Lelaine snorted. "He is surrounded by Aes Sedai. They rarely if ever report back."

"I mean to address that," Egwene assured them. "We will not send more sisters to join him, but I will demand the sisters who are with him report in more frequently."

Lelaine nodded in approval, so did Romanda, until she saw Lelaine do the same thing and stopped, scowling. Sheriam looked forward to the day she could tell those two to stop their bickering and send them to Silviana if they kept it up. Power play was part of being Aes Sedai but the way these two acted was just childish, and all too often they put their personal feuds above taking care of Tower business.

"He must be crazy by now, even if the Taint is gone, he channeled for so long before Saidin was cleansed," Doesine said, frowning. "I wonder if he will allow us to Heal him."

"He has Corele, Nynaeve, and several of the Asha'man with him," Moria pointed out. "I would like to tie him to the Tower as much as anyone, but if anything that affects him can be Healed, he hardly needs us."

The Sitters who had been with the rebels nodded, those who had remained in the Tower frowned. Apparently they had even less information about al'Thor than the Little Tower had managed to gather.

Malind looked at the sisters gathered at the doors. "Shouldn't this meeting be sealed to the Hall?" she asked.

Egwene shook her head. "The sisters who hold the shield will have to be included, and I am sure the Warders will insist on keeping an eye on him as well."

"And they should," Samalin put in with a glance at her fellow Green Sitter.

There was a stir among the sisters at the door, and even those who did not have a Warder knew al'Thor was approaching. The Sitters fell quiet, looking apprehensive.

For some reason, it still took longer than expected for al'Thor to appear in the Hall. But when he did, even Sheriam couldn't help but feel some apprehension.

The Dragon walked into the room, alone, the Warders remaining at the entrance although several stood at the doors, alert as ever. Arinvar was one of them.

Sheriam only glanced at Arinvar briefly, for most of her attention was drawn to the Dragon himself. He was dressed simply, a light shirt, brown trousers, scuffed boots and a worn cloak. It was a good disguise as far as disguises went, but Sheriam still wondered how he had managed to get to the Tower's gate without being noticed, because his bearing did not fit his clothes. He walked tall and confident, with a commanding presence like a King or other ruler. And his face was as hard as that of a Borderlander after a Trolloc raid. He held his hands behind his back as he walked into the room, stopping in the center of the Flame on the floor.

"Egwene," he said, his voice loud and clear. He nodded in respect or greeting. "You have done your part, I see. The Amyrlin's stole fits you well."

For a man who could channel, he was extremely calm, standing there with the Sitters of the Hall all around him, the shield held by two full circles glowing in full strength. And he was so strong ta'veren! Sheriam could feel something tug and pull at her mind, making it difficult to concentrate. She could understand Egwene's concern now! Not that she felt any pressure to spill her secrets, it wasn't targeted like that, but the sheer overwhelming _presence_ of such a strong ta'veren made it hard to think. She hoped fervently none of the Black or turned would let slip anything by accident, and decided to only speak up herself if absolutely necessary.

Egwene had also studied him, she even leaned forward in the Amyrlin Seat.

"What has happened to you?" Egwene asked.

"I was broken," al'Thor said, "And then, remarkably, I was reforged. I think he almost had me, Egwene. It was Cadsuane who set me to fixing it, though she did so by accident. Still, I shall have to lift her exile, I suspect."

Lift her exile? Sheriam hadn't even known Cadsuane had been exiled, there hadn't been any reports from those near al'Thor for many weeks. She'd have preferred Cadsuane stay as far from the Dragon as possible, but she could not quickly think of any good reasons to give such advise. Cadsuane was most definitely someone who should be taken, but doing so would be dangerous -Elza had sent a report about the set of ter'angreal Cadsuane had- and she would be difficult to handle even afterwards.

"Why have you come before the Amyrlin Seat?" Egwene asked. "Have you come to make a petition, or have you come to surrender yourself to the White Tower's guidance?"

As if al'Thor would ever do such a thing, it was merely a way of asserting the Tower _should_ guide him, even if everyone knew he wasn't likely to submit.

It didn't seem to faze al'Thor. He studied Egwene, still with his hands clasped behind his back, and only now the sisters who held the shield filed into the Hall, lining up against the wall on either side of the large doors. Others crowded in the doorway after the twenty-six had gone through. Sheriam still wasn't sure who Mesaana impersonated, but surely the Chosen had managed to take up position, either among those in the doorway or by taking a place in the circles. There were a number of Red in the circles whom Sheriam did not know well, and she spotted a few of the more reclusive Browns as well.

Al'Thor ignored all those behind him. He studied the room, looked at each of the Sitters in turn, his eyes lingering on the three Red seats, all still empty. Now Sheriam cursed the fact that she had not insisted on at least one new Sitter for the Red. Would al'Thor think the Reds no longer held position in the Hall at all, even though their seats were still there, or that the Red Sitters were told to remain out of this particular meeting? Either was not good. Sheriam hated the Red but making an impression on men who could channel was the one thing the Ajah was useful for. At least those in the circles and in the doorway all wore their shawls.

"I've hated you before," the Dragon said, turning back to Egwene. "I've felt a lot of emotions, in recent months. It seems that from the very moment that Moiraine came to the Two Rivers, I've struggled to avoid Aes Sedai strings of control. And yet I allowed other strings -more dangerous strings- to wrap around me unseen.

"It occurs to me that I've been trying too hard. I worried that if I'd listen to you, you'd control me. It wasn't a desire for independence that drove me, but a fear of irrelevance. A fear that the actions I accomplished would be yours, and not my own." He paused, hesitated. "I should have wished for such a convenient set of backs upon which to heap the blame for my crimes."

Sheriam frowned, glanced at Egwene and saw her frown as well. Al'Thor's language and tone were formal, strangely so for a man who came from the same simple background as Egwene. Egwene had shaped up well, but she still hadn't reached this level of formality, more like a man who was of noble birth. And what was he getting at? He made it sound like he regretted the way he had shied away from Aes Sedai control, but to think he had made so completely changed his mind and would surrender himself to the Tower, was too much to hope for. Unless he really had gone crazy. He seemed too calm for that, but not all forms of madness came with ranting and raving.

"Rand," Egwene said, "I would like to have some sisters talk to you, to see if.. if anyone is wrong with you. Do you understand?"

Yes, if only, Sheriam thought skeptically. On the other hand, if he were less concerned about Aes Sedai strings… Perhaps there would be a way to form a Healing circle that was all Black, with Sedore and Dagdara and Romanda theirs now, too.

"Oh, I _do_ understand, Egwene," al'Thor smiled as he spoke. "And I'm sorry to deny you, but I have too much to do. People starve because of me, others live in terror of what I have done. A friend rides to his death without allies. There is so little time to do what I must."

"Rand, we have to make sure," Egwene tried.

Al'Thor nodded, but what he said was, "This is the part I regret. I did not wish to come into your center of power, which you have achieved so well, and defy you. But it cannot be helped. You must know what my plans are so that you can prepare.

"The last time I tried to seal the Bore, I was forced to do it without the help of the women. That was the part which led to disaster, though they may have been wise to deny me their strength. Well, blame must be spread evenly, but I will not make the same mistakes a second time. I believe that Saidin and Saidar must both be used. I don't have the answers yet."

Sheriam frowned again. This man was the Dragon Reborn, but he was also Rand al'Thor. Now he spoke of the Sealing as if he had done it in person, instead of as his previous reincarnation. Again, was it a good sign or a bad? She didn't know.

"Which one are you?" Egwene said softly, barely above a whisper, as she leaned forward again.

"I am both," al'Thor replied. "I remember him. Lews Therin. I can see his entire life, every desperate moment. I can see it like a dream, but a clear dream. My own dream. It's part of me."

That was valuable information, it meant he would indeed know about the weave to detect the turning, as well as any other weaves and tricks from the Age of Legends. Perhaps that was where al'Thor got his formal manners? Lews Therin had been from a more affluent background. Either way, if he had such great influence in al'Thor, it was something that should not be underestimated.

"In one month's time," al'Thor continued, "I am going to travel to Shayol Ghul and break the last remaining seals on the Dark One's prison. I want you to help."

He was going to Shayol Ghul, _with_ the seals, and he told them exactly when he was going to do it? It couldn't be_ that_ easy. Of course he would not come alone, would have his Asha'man and a number of the Aes Sedai who were sworn to him around him, and he would be wary for traps or traitors… but knowing his plan they could certainly take advantage of it. Sheriam almost smiled, she stopped herself just in time from doing that, but she had forgotten to appear shocked. That lack of concentration again! Fortunately the Dragon had been watching Egwene, and she responded as no doubt she would have, if she had still been on the side of the Light.

"Rand, no," Egwene said urgently.

"I'm going to need you, all of you," he continued. "I hope to the Light that this time, you will give me your support. I want you to meet with me the day before we go to Shayol Ghul. And then, then we will discuss my terms."

"Your terms?" Egwene demanded.

"You will see," al'Thor said and turned as if to leave!

Sheriam glanced at Egwene, ready to interfere if she did not. They didn't know near enough yet, had not arranged for contact with those near him either. It wasn't necessary.

"Rand al'Thor," Egwene said, rising. "You will not turn your back on the Amyrlin Seat!"

He froze, then turned back toward her.

"You can not break the seals. That would risk letting the Dark One free."

"A risk we must take. Clear away the rubble. The Bore must be opened fully again before it can be sealed."

"We must talk about this," Egwene said. "Plan."

"That's why I came to you. To let you plan," the Dragon pointed out.

Egwene sat down now al'Thor was once again speaking to her.

"I must talk it over with the Hall, Rand. We must discuss this in more detail."

"We can speak of it when we next meet," al'Thor said.

"A day in advance?" Egwene asked. "No, Rand, that doesn't leave us enough time to work out the details, by then it will be too late to bring up any concerns or make changes. Come here again a week from now, we can meet in my study."

"I really have too much to do," al'Thor replied. "Meet with me at the place known as the Field of Merrilor, just to the North. We will talk before I go to Shayol Ghul. For now, I do not want to defy you, but I must go."

"If you can not come yourself, then let me meet with some of those close to you. You have worked with Aes Sedai, your Asha'man have even bonded them, but none of us here have ever worked with your men. Send Jahar Narishma and Damer in your place, or Logain, to arrange for some contact with those held at the Black Tower. And I wish to see those sisters with you too, they are sworn to you but they are still Aes Sedai."

That was good thinking, it seemed a completely natural request to make.

"I need them too, but perhaps Jahar or Damer can come for a brief meeting," al'Thor conceded.

"See that they do, Rand," Egwene said. "And let the sister who bonded them come along as well. If we fumble weaves or drop links, because we do not know what we're doing together with the men, while the seals are broken… That can't be allowed to happen."

"A week from now, but I will see whom I can miss when the time comes," al'Thor said. "And now, Egwene al'Vere, Watcher of the Seals, Flame of Tar Valon, may I have your permission to withdraw?" He gave a slight bow as he spoke, hardly more than a tip of the head.

Egwene hesitated, and Sheriam studied the Dragon. He was still calm, calm as spring rain Chubain had said, but there was something dangerous in his eyes as well. It would not do to push him too far.

"Very well," Egwene said. "But this is not ended, Rand."

"There are no endings, Egwene," al'Thor said, and with a small nod he turned and walked out. He no longer held his hands clasped, and Sheriam now saw the Dragon was missing his left hand. She started, how had that happened? Had someone come close to taking him again? She would have to learn the details, and learn from their mistakes.

The sisters at the door parted for him, those who held his shield filing out after him, as did the Warders. They would escort him to the gate, at least.

As the Dragon disappeared from sight, Sheriam felt her head clear. Egwene also raised a hand towards her head, shaking it slightly.

"So powerful, it was overwhelming!" Saroiya said, gasping for breath.

Sheriam looked around and noticed several of the Sitters were slumped in their seats, breathing hard as if exhausted.

"What?" Egwene asked.

"I tried to speak but I could barely _breathe_," Lelaine said, breathing now as if she had run all the way across the Tower grounds.

"It felt as if something squeezed my heart," Andara complained. "I was afraid it would stop completely."

"Ta'veren," Janya said. "But extremely strong! I could not move."

Sheriam took stock and noticed those who had been turned seemed less affected, but it had been disorienting even for her. They had to find a way to ward or guard against the effect if they were going to make any move against him!

"How could you just speak to him, Mother?" Takima asked.

"I don't know. Perhaps because it was me he wanted to talk to." Egwene shrugged, frowned. "We need to discuss his words. The Hall of the Tower will reconvene in one hour's time."

Egwene glanced quickly at Sheriam -that had been one thing they hadn't arranged. But meeting in an hour would give them time to talk it over, and of course there would be a meeting of the Hall after an audience like this. What was decided there would not matter in the end, but they would have to go through the motions. Not all Sitters were theirs yet, not to mention all the nosy spectators who would know if, when and how long the Sitters met, even if the meeting itself would be Sealed to the Hall. Sheriam nodded.

"He can't be allowed to break the seals," Lyrelle said decisively, and several Sitters nodded.

"What can we do? If you say we can't hold him," Yukiri said.

Egwene shook her head. "I don't think we could have held him. Apart from his armies, there was just something about him.. I think he might have broken that shield without a struggle."

That was ridiculous of course, no man could break through a double shield, ta'veren or not. But they would speak of that later. She needed this hour to meet with Mesaana again.

"Enough," she said. "We will speak of this when the Hall meets. The Amyrlin needs this time to think it over and she has not yet broken her fast. I suggest any one of you who also still need to eat do so. Shall I have breakfast brought to your study?"

The last was addressed to Egwene and was not, of course, a suggestion. She waited for Egwene's nod only for appearances' sake before getting up and leading Egwene out of the Hall, flagging down an Accepted along the way to bring food from the kitchens.

-0-

Mesaana arrived quickly.

"That didn't go off too badly for an unexpected visit," she said. "In a week we should easily be ready for his envoy, whoever it is. The greatest question is whether to take al'Thor at Shayol Ghul or at the Field of Merrilor, both have their advantages and disadvantages."

"He is so strong ta'veren, can we even plan against him?" Egwene asked. She sounded awed.

"The Great Lord's reach will help against that," Mesaana replied. "Al'Thor may be ta'veren, the Great Lord can also influence the Pattern, and the closer to the Bore the greater that influence. Perhaps it will be best to let him come to Shayol Ghul. Al'Thor's ta'veren protection won't be near as strong there."

"I noticed those who were turned were less affected," Sheriam said.

"That does not surprise me. All the more reason to keep working on turning those we can." Mesaana scowled. "I wish we knew a way to safely take those with Warders. The bond really is a primitive, perverted invention, although I suppose it is effective from their point of view."

Sheriam thought of her bond with Arinvar. It did run deep and personal, and it was useful, at least in today's world. The protection the Warders provided the bonded non-Black sisters was only one example, Arinvar had helped her flee the Tower when Elaida took charge, and she knew plenty other cases where a Warder had indeed saved his Aes Sedai. Maybe in another time, and when Aes Sedai weren't held by the Oaths -or supposedly held by them- there had been no need. She could not pinpoint why it bothered the Chosen so much, knew it was not just the fact that it thwarted their turning. Of course that was not important right now. She too would like to find a method to deal with the Warders, to turn all.

"I will set our Green to work on improving the way to control the Warders through the Bond," Sheriam said. "There may be a way to make the compulsion more secure and less noticeable."

It was of only a little help, there still was the increased risk at the taking itself, but they might come up with something useful.

Mesaana nodded. "Do it. Now about the meeting of the Hall. No doubt most will be screaming al'Thor needs to be stopped, as Lyrelle already started to."

"It would be the most sensible response, I would have tried to dissuade him myself," Egwene said.

"Then don't go against the most obvious course, we will make sure no actual action is taken. Those without Warders will be turned later today, are there any of those with Warders who are likely to cause particular trouble?" Mesaana asked.

"Lelaine, and Malind," Sheriam said. "Lelaine is always hard to handle, Malind is Kandori, she will resist any possibility of breaking the seals harder than those who aren't Borderlanders, and she will make sure that any decisions made are carried out. Might even try to get involved herself."

"If they make trouble, take them. These are turbulent times, if those of the Hall or their Warders act different, it would more likely be ascribed to serious, but legitimate, Tower concerns," Mesaana said.

Sheriam agreed. "The Dragon's visit was fortunate, a lot of our activities will be ascribed to preparations for or against his plans, now."

A knock on the door announced the Accepted who brought Egwene's breakfast. Sheriam took it from her and closed the door, rewove the ward.

"Apart from his envoy, I want to take the sisters who are with him. Al'Thor ignored that request, but you will contact them and order them again to report in," Mesaana instructed. "Same orders for all, of course, even if we may not be able to take all of those who have Warders."

"Yes, High Mistress," Egwene replied. She paused, then continued. "I had called on Nynaeve to come to the Tower, before…before my turning. She has not responded. I think she still has trouble seeing me as Amyrlin, she was the Wisdom in my village after all, and I her apprentice."

Mesaana snorted. "Call her again, with as much urgency as you can without alerting her that something is wrong. If she still balks afterwards at doing as she is told, well, we can deal with that."

Egwene looked sick, but she was smart enough not to protest. "Yes, High Mistress."

"Also, have someone take Tiana. She handed a letter to al'Thor just before he entered the Hall, I want to know where she got it from and what was in it."

"Tiana?" Sheriam said, surprised. "I will get someone on it right away." She wondered what Tiana could possibly have handed to the Dragon, and why, but of course turning her would be the quickest way to find out.

"I will go after a larger place where more circles can work at the turning while the Hall meets," Mesaana said decisively. "Hold off any direct action or announcements for now."

Sheriam acknowledged, curtsied as Mesaana opened a gateway and left.

She sent for Margory, who had built up Tiana's trust when she had in fact watched over the novices and Accepted who were Friends of the Dark, and instructed her to take the Grey, then tell the sister to report to her after the meeting. With that it was time to go to the Hall.

-0-

The meeting of the Hall was chaotic, the Sitters still shocked by the Dragon's visit. Lelaine was the first one to speak, stating al'Thor must be stopped from breaking the Seals. Lyrelle and Takima backed her up immediately, but the other Sitters nodded consent as well. Even those who normally supported Romanda agreed, only Romanda herself was hesitant. As outspoken as she usually was, she was clearly unsure about what to say, whether to support Lelaine or argue against her. Sheriam wished she had found an excuse to take her apart and brief her, but then she had expected the woman to do better on her own. Saerin and Yukiri had no such trouble, appearing no more out of sorts than the other Sitters.

Even with Romanda's hesitation, it did not take the Hall long to reach consensus that the Dragon must be stopped. The Black sisters, of course, all voting that way since any sensible non-Black would. The trouble started when they tried to decide how this was to be accomplished.

The three Green Sitters, in spite of the armies al'Thor controlled, the previous disastrous attempt by Elaida to capture him, and the strength of his ta'veren influence, still thought that they had to try to take him by force. And to Sheriam's surprise, Lelaine supported them, which meant Lyrelle and Takima did also.

Moria suggested taking not the Dragon but the seals, taking them by stealth rather than force, and Sedore immediately agreed. An interesting idea, and something to keep in mind as a backup plan, since then of course they would break the seals rather than keep them safe after getting a hold of them.

It was Egwene who suggested they contact those who supported the Dragon, the Kings and leaders who ruled his lands and who had declared their allegiance, so they might talk the Dragon out of his plan. Something Andara and the White supported, as well as Janya. This last seemed the best course of action, as any letters and even envoys could be stalled for a short while. Saerin saw the sense in it, and Yukiri followed her lead.

And then it turned out Sheriam knew the Sitters better than she would have liked. The Green Sitters and even Lelaine allowed themselves to be swayed, at least for the moment, as long as taking the Dragon by force would still be an option if he could not be persuaded. But they also insisted on taking direct action. Both Malind and Lelaine wanted to go themselves and go that same afternoon, arguing vehemently against even the slightest delay, and Andara insisted on the same thing, although she, being a Grey, remained just a bit calmer while pleading her case.

Velina argued restraint, Saerin suggested learning more about those they would visit, but eventually Egwene's insistence she include a personal letter, and that she would need at least the rest of the day to write those, was what made the three Sitters give in. They agreed to wait until the next morning.

The vote was called and one by one the Sitters rose, some quickly and some reluctantly, but in the end they all stood.

Then, it was decided who would go where, and this too evolved into a heated argument. Sheriam felt herself get impatient, there was so much to do, and here they were arguing over something that would never actually be allowed to happen. Or perhaps they should send out sisters to influence the Dragon's allies, and to learn more about his strengths, weaknesses and the forces he controlled. Well, Malind and Andara could go, after being taken, but not Lelaine. She wouldn't trust Lelaine out of her sight, turned or not.

It was most annoying Elayne had bonded al'Thor, although she was very glad that information had at least reached them. It would've been disastrous if they had tried to take Elayne and turn her. But without the bond, they would be able to get Andor's armies on their side as well. Egwene of course did have some influence on Elayne, but from the last reports, the young woman was establishing herself as Queen of Andor almost as quickly and strongly as Egwene had here in the Tower before she was taken. When it came to Andor and Caemlyn, Egwene's influence would not be greater than that of a trusted friend, Amyrlin or not.

Finally, an agreement was reached and the meeting closed. As the Sitters filed out of the Hall Yukiri and Velina walked with Andara, without being told. Andara had no Warder, and Sheriam knew the Grey at least would not be any problem.

Moria and Sedore were hesitant. They hung back and Moria glanced at her. Last night the instructions had still been to take those without Warders only, but they clearly understood that might now change. Sheriam thought quickly. Would she tell Moria how they had taken Siuan and Bryne, show her the stunning weave? It wasn't strictly necessary, a Warder could be held in Air safely enough. It was mostly the level of compulsion afterwards that it mattered for, and Burin was not in the public eye like Lord Bryne. And while Lelaine might be rash and careless, might be just the type to expect Burin to follow her no matter what her allegiance, Moria was not and she would order Lelaine to use compulsion.

Sheriam nodded to Moria, who called out to Sedore and the two of them went after Lelaine.

That left Malind, with two Warders. Should she delegate that to Dawn, or take her together with Egwene? Perhaps better to call her into the Amyrlin's study, Dawn would not have any reason more urgent than the current mission to take Malind apart, and none to insists she bring both her Warders to their meeting. However they could deliver Malind to a circle at the inn and let Dawn or one of the other Black take it from there. She flagged down a novice, told her to find either Dawn or Cheryl.

Walking back to the Amyrlin's study and her anteroom, she had to remind herself to let Egwene lead. For months her role had been natural, now their positions were so clearly reversed when no one could see, she had to be careful not to make any mistakes. She could not discuss anything here in the open either, while Egwene walked briskly, Gawyn followed close behind as usual.


	9. The price of a ballroom

**The price of a ballroom.**

Even as they neared Egwene's study, Sheriam could see the commotion. Several sisters were milling around, talking together in the hallway, clearing waiting for them. What was it _this_ time?

"Mother!" Celestin looked more nervous than any full sister should. "There has been another murder!"

"Who?" Egwene asked.

"Enora, Mother," Celestin replied. "She must have been killed early this morning, but she was only missed when she was supposed to teach a novice class and did not show up."

Sheriam started. If she had ever seriously considered the possibility of Alviarin and those who fled with her being responsible for the murders -perhaps they still tried to create chaos and diversity within the Tower, might be acting on such orders from one of the other Chosen- that was now even more unlikely. Enora had been Black Ajah.

She glanced around. Several of the Yellow -Enora's assumed Ajah- a small group of novices -probably those who should have been in her class- and a few others who had no doubt heard the commotion. And Tiana, well she would have to wait.

"She was killed in her quarters?" Egwene asked.

Celestin nodded. "Yes, Mother."

"Lead the way," Egwene said, and Celestin started down the hall.

The entire throng started to follow. That wouldn't do. Sheriam knew very little about the investigation of a murder, and they would not be able to speak freely until they were back in Egwene's study, but she was certain a large group of spectators would be more hindrance than help.

"Wait," she said, stopping and turning to those who followed. "Who actually has seen anything relevant, who found her?"

One novice, a young girl who had joined them in Salidar, held up a hand.

"Me, Sheriam Sedai." The girl shook like a leaf, she tried to curtsy but almost lost her balance. Well, she could count herself lucky if she didn't see worse things before the month was over.

"No one else?" Sheriam cast her eye over the group.

"No," Celestin replied. "Those who responded to Dayse's cries are still in Enora's room, I believe."

"Then stop gawking. Tiana, take the other novices to Sylviana and return to my anteroom when you've done that, the Amyrlin still wants to talk to you. Everyone else, go about your business," she ordered.

Reluctantly, the sisters backed off, only Celestin and the novice -Dayse- remaining. And Gawyn, who nodded approval at her order.

Celestin led them to Enora's rooms quickly, at the very end of the hallway in the Yellow's quarters, a place that could not be reached without walking past many other doors, and had only one escape route if the assassin had been caught in the act. Was the assassin getting bolder, or were the three sisters targeted for some reason they did not know?

Dagdara was in the hall before Enora's rooms, and Talva, as well as Therva, Salita and Musarin. A group of guardsmen held everyone else back but stepped aside for Egwene and her. Akkarin and Nisain came out, together with Chubain, as they heard Dagdara greet the Amyrlin.

Egwene walked past them, Sheriam followed. Enora's body lay next to the bed, but she was fully dressed, and her hair brush lay on the floor beside her. Enora was an early riser, Sheriam knew.

Egwene called Dayse, who shakily came forward, then quickly looked away.

"Did you find her like this?" Egwene asked.

"Yes, Mother," the girl said. "I didn't.. I didn't dare touch her or anything."

The girl sounded apologetic, but there was no need. The amount of blood made it clear Enora must have been dead when she was found, or at least beyond the help of a novice. There seemed to have been a bit of a struggle also, a glass and candlestick on the small table beside the bed were knocked over, the bedclothes dragged partway onto the floor.

"When was that?"

"About half an hour before Dinner, Mother. She should have taught us class an hour before, she's never late but after the Dragon's visit and all, well, we thought maybe something had come up to make her forget. Only it kept nagging at us and finally we decided to go look for her, well I went, I knew which room was hers since I had helped her carry some items when we came to the Tower. I knocked on the door, heard nothing, and when I knocked a little harder the door just opened, it had not been closed all the way."

"The door hadn't been closed all the way?" Gawyn echo'd.

"No, Lord, it mustn't have been, I didn't turn the knob. I wouldn't dare try to open the door without permission," the girl replied quickly.

"And then?" Egwene prompted.

"Well, since the door was open anyway, I did step in, and then.., " she faltered briefly. "And then I saw her. I just stared, then turned and ran, I must've screamed because next I knew Dagdara Sedai and Talva Sedai and Salita Sedai were there and more."

"We were here in an instant, Mother, but she had been dead some time, and even if we had been here sooner it's doubtful we could have done anything. She has been stabbed repeatedly," Dagdara took over. "I alerted Nisain and Akkarin, and sent Celestin to find you, but you were still in the meeting of the Hall."

"It's the same as the others, Mother," Nisain said. "No residue, the assassin does not use the One Power. No signs of Travel or anything suspicious in the hallways or common areas of the floor."

"No one suspicious has entered or left the Tower, either," Chubain reported. "Of course there are many people coming and going all day long, servants and merchants making deliveries and visitors seeking Healing or advise, but everyone has been looked over closely for the past days, even if it does make some of them grumble about the wait. Either the assassin has nerves of steel walking in and out repeatedly using a cover, or it is someone within the Tower grounds."

"Could the killer have entered or left during the commotion when the Dragon was here?" Gawyn asked.

Chubain shook his head, scowled. "No more than at any other time," he replied. "These aren't times to leave the gates unwatched, no matter what the reason."

Sheriam wasn't so sure, she had felt how the Dragon had affected even her, and the guardsmen couldn't channel, hadn't had the protection of the Great Lord. But the Dragon hadn't been here to visit either of the previous two times. Somehow, she didn't think the assassin would be caught at the gates.

"A Black sister would know the Tower, would be able to walk out and Travel from some place further away from her victim's rooms," Salita remarked.

"All undetected?" Dagdara asked. "That would be a ridiculous risk to take, when she could just Travel into the room directly, kill her victim, and leave the same way. Simply Traveling to a nearby place and weaving multiple gateways there makes it impossible to follow, as was done at the camp."

Akkarin and Nisain nodded. "And there is no reason to kill with a dagger," Akkarin said. "Even when we do find residue to read, we can not read _who_ wove the flows, nor can we follow their trail like a Sniffer."

"Who else would dare come into the very Tower, except for a Black?" Therva wondered.

"Too many, I fear," Gawyn said. "Someone sent by the Whitecloaks, a Darkfriend among the servants or even the townsfolk. They normally would not, but with the Last Battle this close, men are driven to extremes, and perhaps the recent Seanchan attack showed them the Tower is not invulnerable."

Egwene frowned. "I wonder if it could be a Grey Man?" she ventured

Sheriam nodded. That was a definite possibility, although the question remained who would have sent it. Would any of the other Chosen interfere where Mesaana ruled? She hadn't asked and Mesaana had not even mentioned the first two murders, but she would ask now.

"Could a Grey Man come past the wards?" Gawyn asked.

"Probably, unless she had specific or very strong wards up," Sheriam said. She warded her room stronger than usual since the Grey Man, or Grey Woman, had been found dead in her bed, but she also knew most Aes Sedai did not, warded only against Shadowspawn and often not that within the Tower itself. A Grey Man was human, or at least sort of human, would not set off those wards.

"Just the standard door wards discouraging entry, nothing particularly strong," Nisain said.

"We had full wards on the entrance to the Yellow quarters during the night," Dagdara mentioned. They were probably still up by the time Enora was killed, if my estimate of when she was killed is correct, although it is very difficult to pinpoint such a thing exactly."

Which to Sheriam meant the hallway wards had been up, Dagdara knew far more about death than those who were Yellow Ajah only, and her estimate of the time of death would be accurate.

"I suggest we keep up the wards and the checks at the gates, warn sisters to not let any servants they do not know into their quarters, and set up patrols of Aes Sedai and Warders in the halls at night. What do you think?" Egwene asked.

Sheriam considered. She knew it was a suggestion in truth, one word from her and Egwene would reconsider. The security measures would be annoying while they were trying to take more sisters. But it had to be done, if no measures were taken, it would be a clear sign something else was wrong. And the patrols could be Black, or turned.

"I will set up a schedule," Sheriam said. There would be those who would volunteer, who would wonder at being passed over if this lasted too long, but she could make a roster for the first two or three nights before even taking any names, if she was quick. Thank the Great Lord there were so many of them, and she now knew them all!

"We should ask the servants if any of them have seen anything," Gawyn put in. "Especially if it did happen early in the morning, the servants are the first ones up."

Sheriam glanced at the young man, frowned. He rarely spoke up, but now he had done so several times. Gawyn noticed her look.

"Excuse me, Aes Sedai. I have been thinking about the murders since Lennah Sedai was killed, I can't help but think more should be done to find the assassin." He turned to Egwene. "Mother, may I have your permission to join the investigation?"

Egwene glanced at her again, the decision would be hers. Sheriam hoped they weren't too obvious about it, Egwene was not known as an Amyrlin who asked a lot of advise. But then this was not a standard situation either. She thought it over quickly. She didn't want any more people nosing around the Tower, but she did want the murders stopped. Both for the victims' sake and so the security measures could be decreased again to a level safer for her own plans. And Gawyn would come to Egwene with anything he found, more so than Chubain, who might well voice his concerns to a Sitter or another Aes Sedai if he or his men found anything out of sorts.

She gave a small, cautious shrug, as if the decision was Egwene's to make. The girl should realize that this meant a yes, if it'd been a no she would have been more definite.

"Alright," Egwene said. "See what you can do."

Sheriam glanced at the three residue readers. She expected Therva would want to join the investigations as well, now a Yellow sister was killed. And the residue readers were high on the list of those to be taken anyhow. Three sisters now, but all very weak in the Power. Most, though not all, who could read residue were weak, although she had no idea why this was the case. She turned to Dagdara.

"Work with the sisters investigating. Let them know if you or any of the Yellow remember anything they may have seen or heard this morning, no matter how small or insignificant," she instructed.

Dagdara nodded. She would understand, Sheriam had little doubt the three sisters would be turned by that evening.

Egwene took one more long look at Enora's body, then stepped back.

"I want this assassin found and stopped," she said decisively. Then she turned on her heel and strode out. Sheriam followed, and for once Gawyn remained behind. At least this would get him off their back for a while, at the Amyrlin's rooms.

Returning to her anteroom, only Tiana and Dawn were waiting for her. Good, the others had listened to her orders to go elsewhere. Sheriam wove the usual wards even as Egwene went on into her study. She told Dawn to wait outside, while she questioned Tiana.

"What was it you gave to al'Thor?" she asked without preamble.

Tiana curtsied. "A letter from Verin, Sheriam. I do not know what was in it."

Sheriam started, a gasp escaping her. "Verin?" Surely she couldn't have given al'Thor any information about the Black! "How thick a letter was it, and what were the instructions when she gave it to you?" she demanded.

"It can't have been more than one, maybe two pages. And she didn't give any hint as to the contents, merely handing it to me in the halls near the kitchen, and what she said was 'give this to the Lord Dragon when he comes to see the Amyrlin'," Tiana said. The Grey was clearly startled by her reaction. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have delivered it."

Sheriam shook her head. "You couldn't have known, and you had no reason not to until just now. What is done is done, if you truly know nothing else, go. Keep yourself available to Margory and any others for the circles."

Tiana nodded, relieved. "Thank you." The Grey curtsied deep as she took her leave.

Sheriam stared after her and bit her lip, trying to calm herself. Surely Verin wouldn't have sent information about the Black to the Dragon? Should she call Mesaana? The Chosen would be busy arranging for the location she mentioned, might not like being disturbed, and if the letter did have any info about the Black, there was no way to stop al'Thor from reading it. But they would need all time possible to prepare, if that was the case.

She was saved the decision by Mesaana's arrival. In her guise as Accepted, the Chosen walked in even as Sheriam was still wondering what to do.

"I have a location. The former ballroom in one of the Seven Towers, I will show you where. The Seven Towers are Moghedien's and Cyndane's, but they agreed to let me use it in trade for Siuan and Leane. Oh, and an angreal." She added the last as if it were only an afterthought.

Sheriam started, ignoring her own concerns momentarily in her puzzlement. "What, why?"

"I don't know, but she did ask for Egwene and Nynaeve first. I will ask Egwene what made her so interested in them, but first send for one of the Black to turn Leane. We will hear what Egwene has to say while we wait for her to be brought in. And send someone down to the store rooms for that angreal, there is a copper brooch set with emerald that is the right strength."

"Yes, High Mistress," Sheriam replied quickly. She didn't allow herself to question the way the Chosen had decided to hand over the two people she had considered her friends, not now. She opened her door to flag down a novice, saw Dawn, decided that Malind would have to wait just a little while. She told Dawn to take Leane, instead, and also relayed the orders concerning the angreal.

She went back inside, and now addressed what had worried her.

"High Mistress, about Tiana's letter, it might be urgent. She had received it from Verin. Tiana did not know what it contained, but..," she trailed off.

Mesaana looked up, surprised, then she shook her head.

"No, it won't be that. Shaidar Haran is very thorough, if Verin had left any letters containing information about the Black Ajah elsewhere, I would know about it," she said, sounding definite.

Sheriam sighed in relief.

"I still would like to know what she wrote, unfortunately, I am hardly in a position to ask." Mesaana shuddered, then continued. "Although perhaps with the Tower secured and the information about al'Thor's plans, he might tell me. I suppose I must share the information about al'Thor at some time or other."

Sheriam looked at the Chosen with new respect. She knew Mesaana had been punished harshly for her earlier failures, and rightly feared the wrath of the Great Lord and Shaidar Haran. Even if things were going well now, it would still take considerable courage to face them again. For something that may not even directly affect them.

"There's more," Mesaana noted. "The meeting?"

"It went pretty much as expected," Sheriam reported. "Andara and Lelaine will be turned, probably are by now. Malind also insisted on taking quick action and should be taken today, and the rest of the Hall will have to follow soon, before they expect any reports from those three. I was about to arrange for Malind's turning but there has been another murder."

That seemed to cause Mesaana more concern than Verin's letter. She frowned, tapped her lip, as she listened to Sheriam's report.

"It could be anyone," she said eventually, "but it is a possibility the assassin is sent by one of the other Chosen. I would have thought it unlikely for Graendal to have the audacity to move against me here in the Tower, but using assassins is her kind of style."

Sheriam nodded. She would inform the sisters investigating the murder of the possibility, as soon as she heard back from Dagdara and knew they were safely turned. She wondered if she should warn Chubain and Gawyn as well, and how she would explain getting this information if she did. Then she decided not to risk it. The men had already considered the possibility of it being a Grey Man, whom it was sent by would make little difference.

"If that's all, we will ask Egwene about Moghedien," Mesaana said, moving toward the inner door.

All? Mesaana had only been gone for a few hours, and plenty had happened. But then, Sheriam suspected things would move fast from now on, with the Last Battle only a month off.

Egwene was seated at her desk, but she stood, knelt, as soon as she saw it was just the two of them. Mesaana looked down on her with an approving nod, then sat down in one of the visitors chairs. Sheriam took the other one.

"Rise," Mesaana told Egwene as they were both seated.

Egwene rose, and Mesaana waited calmly until she was seated again.

"So. About Moghedien," she said then.

The blood drained from Egwene's face. She opened her mouth to speak but no sound came out. She swallowed and tried again.

"We held her as a prisoner," she began. "Nynaeve captured her back in Salidar. Moghedien had come there in disguise, had placed herself in Salidar itself, but the confrontation took place in Tel'aran'rhiod."

"In Tel'aran'rhiod?" Mesaana asked sharply.

Egwene nodded, clearly surprised by the tone of Mesaana's voice, but Sheriam understood. She alone knew how close Mesaana had come to challenging Egwene there.

"Yes," Egwene continued. "Moghedien almost caught her, had her shielded at one point, but Birgitte arrived to distract her, Nynaeve managed to get close pretending she was begging for release, and then thought up an a'dam, leashing her instead. She forced Moghedien to release the shield.

"Nynaeve interrogated Moghedien, and she told her that Rand and Rahvin were fighting in Caemlyn. Nynaeve went there, taking Moghedien along. They found Rahvin and Rand, who were in the World of Dreams in the flesh. They helped Rand, although I believe they came quite close to being killed themselves. Nynaeve was reluctant to tell every detail about that fight.

"But however close it was, Rand killed Rahvin with balefire, and left Tel'aran'rhiod, leaving Nynaeve and Moghedien behind. Nynaeve had by then realized Moghedien was in Salidar in the real world as well, from some of the things she had said and couldn't have known otherwise. She drugged Moghedien with forkroot, then returned to her body and woke up. Elayne made an a'dam, one that worked without a physical leash, and they leashed Moghedien in the real world before she woke up."

Something dawned on Sheriam. The silver necklace that had seemed too grand for a woman of Marigan's presumed background, Egwene's irritation which had been excessive for a servant who had ran off.

"Moghedien had been a refugee woman named Marigan," Egwene confirmed her thoughts. "They told no one but Siuan and Leane -this was before I was summoned to Salidar- and rather than turning her in, which would certainly have meant her execution and death, together they decided to use the a'dam to force her to teach them weaves from the Age of Legends."

"So that's where all those discoveries came from," Sheriam said. She had known it was too much for the three of them to come up with unaided, but she had not been able to discover their source. Something or someone in the World of Dreams had seemed more likely -the Wise Ones who might not want the Aes Sedai to know what they knew, or a forgotten library. It was difficult to read anything in full in that place, but they might still have been able to read some bits and pieces.

Egwene nodded. "Yes. She tried to hold back, still held back plenty I am sure, but she taught some weaves, others she hinted at and we figured out from there. We, because when I came to Salidar, Nynaeve and Elayne told me about her, and I wore the bracelet some of the time as well. So did Siuan and Leane, after they had been Healed. It didn't work for them before then."

Sheriam frowned at that. If this had started before Egwene had been summoned to Salidar, that meant Nynaeve and Elayne had still been Accepted. And Siuan had agreed to let them keep one of the Chosen captive? While Siuan herself was Stilled and couldn't channel at all! She had known Siuan had sent the three girls to chase the thirteen Black sisters, that had been bad enough, this was a hundred times worse. She herself had broken enough rules as a Black, but she tried not to involve novices and Accepted in her schemes, and on top of that Siuan had supposedly been on the good side! The level of hypocrisy of those who fought for the Light never ceased to amaze her. She shook her head in disgust.

Egwene glanced at her uncertainly, hesitated.

"I caught her holding back and lying to us several times," she said then.

And you punished her harshly for it, Sheriam filled in for herself. Egwene shifted uncomfortably in her place, she probably thought Sheriam's reaction was about the leashing itself, but that didn't bother her near as much. She understood Moghedien wanted revenge, but unless she was ordered to do so, she wouldn't even set a penance for Egwene, or for Nynaeve if she ever decided to show up. They had been at opposite sides at the time, and capturing or defeating your opponents was part of the battle. Even if the a'dam was a vile thing, and Egwene had more reason than anyone else to know that. Had she not said she would not wish the leash even on Elaida?

"Nynaeve and Elayne went to Ebou Dar, leaving Moghedien with me. From that point on, I held the bracelet most of the time, sometimes Siuan and Leane did, as I had little time to spend with her unobserved. Soon, just after Firstday, she was freed. It was a man who could channel, I could feel that through the bracelet, it causes a brief flash of pain. But I have no idea who it was, or where either of them went," Egwene finished.

"Well, that explains why she asked for you," Mesaana remarked calmly.

"Asked.. for me?" Egwene stuttered. She had managed to keep her voice steady so far, but now it failed her.

"You're too valuable, of course," Mesaana said dismissively. "I'm giving her Siuan and Leane."

It was hard to see how Egwene could turn more pale than she already was, but she managed. She swallowed a few times, and looked as if she was going to be sick. Then she softly asked, "Why?"

It was never a good idea to ask questions of one of the Chosen, even one as simple as this. But Mesaana was indulgent.

"She and Cyndane hold a location which is very convenient for the turning. I traded Siuan and Leane for the use of it. And an angreal of middle strength," Mesaana said.

Egwene gulped, then slowly shook her head. "No, no." she said softly, but Sheriam thought it was more an expression of dismay than a protest.

Fortunately for Egwene, Mesaana took it as such as well, ignoring it as she turned to Sheriam.

"I want you to come with me to the Seven Towers. We will pick up Siuan at the Kandori farm on the way. Siuan will have to transfer Bryne's bond, can one of the Aes Sedai who are there take him or would you suggest someone else?"

Sheriam started and tried hard to suppress a shudder. To lose the bond with Bryne would hurt Siuan very, very badly. She wouldn't say as bad as the physical pain that was to come -the Chosen knew ways of torture that were worse than the worst nightmares- but it would be close. Still Siuan must have known what risks she took when she kept Moghedien alive and hidden rather than turning her in or killing her; the risk that one day the tables would be turned. Sheriam realized she must become harder, now that the Last Battle was so near and she worked closely with Mesaana. She bit her lip and forced herself to think quickly about the matter at hand.

The weaker sisters she did not take in consideration. While no strength was required to control a Warder through the bond, it was likely Bryne would be riding into battle, four weeks from now for sure, and perhaps at other times as well. She wanted him bonded to a strong sister, who could defend or assist him as needed.

Kerryn would seem the most obvious choice, her assumed Ajah being Green, but she was one of those who held more intimate relations with her Warders and it would hurt Siuan that much more. Sheriam saw no need for that. Leesa would do well with Bryne, too. And Leesa was a member of the Council, which was convenient since they wouldn't have to let another sister in on any decisions the Council made that concerned Bryne and his men.

"Leesa can take him," she said.

"Good," Mesaana nodded, not asking for an explanation.

Not only had Mesaana asked for her advise, but she also took her decision without question. The Chosen was putting more confidence in her, more than Sheriam had ever dared hope.

Mesaana stood and looked at Egwene. Sheriam now noticed that tears leaked down Egwene's face, even though she had managed to remain quiet.

"Get a hold of yourself and clean up," Mesaana ordered. "We will both be gone for a while, and there will be no one in Sheriam's anteroom to keep people out. We can't have anyone come in and wonder why the Amyrlin is crying."

Egwene took a deep breath. "Yes, High Mistress," she managed. It came out as a sob, still, but she pulled out her handkerchief and wiped her face.

Satisfied that Egwene would manage, Mesaana motioned for Sheriam to follow and they went back into her anteroom.

An Accepted was waiting with the angreal, but Dawn had not yet returned. Sheriam took the angreal and sent the Accepted on her way.

Mesaana briefly gave her some instructions regarding the impending visit to Moghedien and Cyndane.

Then Dawn arrived with Leane, and knelt. "Forgive me for the delay, High Mistress. Another circle had just started at the inn."

"No matter," Mesaana replied. "Another, larger location will be provided by evening. Dismissed."

Dawn rose quickly and left. Leane had followed Dawn's lead and had knelt, but she had not spoken.

"Shield her," Mesaana ordered.

Sheriam wove the flows of Spirit, cutting the other woman off from the Source. She tried not to think how long it would be before Leane would be allowed to channel again, or if she ever would.

Leane looked fearful, her eyes shot from Mesaana to Sheriam and back. She would not know for certain why she was here, Sheriam had not told Dawn and thus Dawn could not have told her. She focused on Sheriam.

"Sheriam, what…?" she started.

"Get up and come with us," Mesaana interrupted her, channeling a gateway.

Leane was so startled she remained frozen for a moment, and Sheriam gestured for her to hurry up. She readied flows of Air but did not need them, Leane rose and walked through into Kandor. Sheriam followed and Mesaana let the gateway close.

The Chosen had changed her disguise into that of the blonde Aes Sedai even while she Traveled. She wove the Mirror of Mists easily, changing her appearance as casually as any other might change a cloak. The gateway had opened in a courtyard among the sprawling buildings of the large farm, and as Mesaana strode towards the main building, Sheriam realized she must have been here before.

Before they reached the front door, Oriannin and her Warder appeared. Oriannin was glowing with the Power and both looked wary, but the glow winked out as soon as the Black sister recognized them, and both knelt down.

"Rise," Mesaana ordered. "Get Siuan, Bryne and Leesa, and bring them to me."

"Yes, High Mistress," Oriannin replied. Her Taraboner braids swung as she quickly rose and rushed into the main farmhouse.

Mesaana followed, so Sheriam did too, making sure Leane also came along. The woman looked pale and frightened, but she kept up.

In the large hall, Mesaana waited, and Sheriam looked around. It was clear Jalila's family had done well, not only from the size of the farm, which was obvious outside, but it was also richly furnished. The walls were paneled with the same dark, polished wood that the wide stairs were made of, and a thick runner in deep red ran up them. Richly carved doors led off in several directions, and equally ornate chests lined the walls. A beautiful clock stood among them, showing it was only just afternoon. She felt it must be evening already, so much had happened already that day, but no doubt the clock would be accurate. And a good thing too, for more had to be done.

Suddenly a door to the left opened, and Maigan came out. She clearly did not recognize Mesaana, went straight to Sheriam and fell to her knees.

"Please, Sheriam, please Heal me, I will serve the Great Lord, just let me channel again," she pleaded.

Cherynne appeared in the doorway Maigan had come from and called her back, but Maigan did not appear to hear her.

Mesaana glanced down at the Stilled sister. "We will have a man available soon, in a week perhaps, if not before. I promise you will be Healed, and as to your allegiance, you should know from Siuan there will be no doubt about that."

Maigan started when Mesaana spoke instead of Sheriam, bent her head even deeper down. "High Mistress, I did not realise! Thank you, thank you."

Cherynne knelt, and even as she did so she kept gesturing frantically to Maigan to go back to where she came from. This time the Stilled sister got up and scrambled back through the door, still muttering thanks.

Cherynne bowed her head down deeper in turn. "I am sorry for the disturbance, High Mistress. We allow her to work in the kitchen since Annisha attacked her the first time she asked to join the Black if only she would be Healed, but I should have kept her out of your way."

"Keep her with you and instruct her as to the proper way to behave. The other sister, too. Whether she comes to us voluntarily or not makes little difference. In fact, if the other one is acting up, take them now. The actual connection with the Great Lord's essence can be made in those who never have held the Power, or one who is severed, as long as the ability is or was there. It runs parallel to the flows of Saidar, not through the same paths."

"Yes, High Mistress," Cherynne promised quickly. Then as Mesaana dismissed her, she fled back into the kitchen.

Mesaana watched her go, seemingly emotionless. The Chosen really had gotten more patient now things were going well, Sheriam thought.

Soon after, Orianin came down the wide staircase with Leesa walking next to her, Siuan and Bryne in tow. For once, Siuan showed proper respect, kneeling promptly. She showed some apprehension, but it turned to real concern only when she saw Leane and the shield Sheriam held on her.

"Siuan Sanche," Mesaana addressed her. "I have decided to give you and Leane to Moghedien. Transfer your Warder to Leesa, he will remain here."

Siuan turned even paler than Egwene had, almost lost her balance in shock, and Leane gasped in horror. She too only now heard her fate. Leesa looked surprised, but quickly a small smile spread on her lips. She looked at Bryne appreciatively.

Bryne himself instantly moved to Siuan's side, but it was clear he did not understand, and the way he moved told Sheriam that the compulsion on him was far stronger here at the farm than it had been at the Tower, when he was still unaware of what had been done to Siuan.

"Wait, what is this?" he demanded, glancing around in confusion.

"Control him," Mesaana ordered.

Siuan was beyond listening. She threw herself down flat at Mesaana's feet. "Please, no, not that, please no," she sobbed.

Sheriam shifted uncomfortably. It was hard to watch Siuan, who was normally so strong, grovel in this manner.

Mesaana struck out with a lash of Air. "Fool. You _want_ him to feel what is going to happen to you?"

Siuan's head shot up and she started at Mesaana with an expression of utter shock. She lost even further control of Lord Bryne, who now shook his head trying to clear it even as he stepped in between Siuan and Mesaana. He wore no weapons and Mesaana seemed unconcerned, but his voice was angry.

"Leave her alone!"

Leesa channeled Spirit, putting a regular compulsion on him, even as she pulled him back physically with flows of Air.

Siuan straightened from where she knelt and glared at the Black sister. She embraced the Source, and for a moment Sheriam wondered if she might strike at her. Then Siuan channeled Spirit, transferring the Warder bond.

"I _will_ survive this and I _will_ be back for him," she hissed as she wove the flows.

An ambitious promise, Sheriam thought, but hope might be what would keep her alive.

As Siuan finished the weave, Mesaana shielded her, cutting her off from the Source without even bothering to command her to let go of Saidar of her own accord.

"Get up and follow," the Chosen ordered, even as she opened a gateway.

Siuan remained still for just a moment, then pushed herself up. She must know resistance would only make things worse! She looked at Bryne, then with a sob turned and almost stumbled through the gateway.

Sheriam turned back to Leane to make sure she, too, followed. Leane was white as a sheet, and walked slowly, mechanically, but she did as she was told. Sheriam stepped into the courtyard of Malkier.

Ruins rose all around her, but the rubble in the courtyard they stood in had been cleared, and the lower levels of the closest Towers looked clean, even showed patches in places where the masonry had been repaired. Clearly Moghedien and Cyndane had been here for some time, had taken the time to make the place habitable. Only here though; the courtyard gave view of a street which was lined with houses many of which had fallen down entirely, blocking the street itself with their rubble. It would have been far too much work to clean up the entire city, a sizeable place that was once the capital of Malkier, and also unnecessary. No doubt what was needed in the way of supplies was brought here by gateway rather than by the roads.

Even before she closed the gateway, Mesaana changed her appearance again, this time turning into a woman of medium height. Her hair was straight, dark and shoulder length and she had clear, blue eyes. It took a moment for Sheriam to match up the Chosen's appearance with the tales she had been told, and to realize that this was what Mesaana really looked like. Even wearing a simple brown dress with just a little scrollwork along the edges, Mesaana stood with an easy confidence and her eyes were bright and hard.

Only moments after they had Traveled, two women emerged from the nearest building. One wore a black dress, her dark hair pinned back, and eyes even darker, that had to be Moghedien. The other couldn't have been more different. She had long, loose, almost white hair and pale blue eyes, and even her dress was a light cream with white lace. While Sheriam had only heard the name a few times and the old tales did not mention her, let alone her description, this had to be Cyndane.

Siuan and Leane paled even more and threw themselves down, for all the good that would do. Sheriam curtsied deep enough to allow her knee to touch the ground, but did not remain down. As Mesaana had told her, she stood to the left and just a step behind the Chosen, but she held her head up, although her heart was beating like crazy. Never hesitate, Mesaana had told her. Take what comes, even if you make a mistake, but never show weakness. She looked at the other two Chosen and manage to appear calm.

Moghedien had smiled broadly the moment she spotted Siuan and Leane. She also seemed to take the lead, coming forward while Cyndane remained slightly back.

"These two are yours, as agreed," Mesaana said, with the slightest nod toward the two kneeling women.

Moghedien's smile got wider and her dark eyes gleamed.

"Excellent."

Moghedien channeled and wove the most intricate shield Sheriam had ever seen. She watched closely, trying to learn, but even after seeing it twice she was not sure she could duplicate it in full. Mesaana released the shield on Siuan when Moghedien tied hers off, and Sheriam followed her lead, letting her own shield on Leane wink out when the new shield was in place. Moghedien looked at her, frowned, but said nothing.

Reaching into a pouch on her belt, Moghedien took out the copper and emerald brooch and handed it to Cyndane.

Sheriam could feel the surge in the Power as Cyndane tested the angreal. She too smiled, but it was a small smile, and it did not touch her eyes. A woman who was very hard to please, Sheriam thought.

"And as agreed, the ballroom in the center Tower is yours," Moghedien said.

"Excellent," Mesaana replied. "I will be at the White Tower. If you need me, Sheriam can contact me. She is Head of the Black and my second in command."

Moghedien merely glanced at her with a slight frown, but Cyndane scoffed openly. "A barely trained child?"

"By our standards. She can hold her own among the others and she has been quite useful."

Cyndane sniffed, but Sheriam didn't flinch, either at the words of the Chosen or at their disapproving looks. She might not be a match for them in strength in the One Power, but she could show strength in other ways, like she had done after Verin's betrayal, when she had refused to flee. She met their stares calmly, refusing to look away or even blink.

Mesaana was unconcerned as she turned away and started towards the center ruin. Sheriam followed without looking back.

"That went well," Mesaana said, satisfied. "Get some of the Black over here, have them move the tables in position and see to it that those who know the turning Learn the place as soon as possible, so they can Travel back. How long will it take them?"

The inn had been near enough to the Tower itself and to the camp just outside Tar Valon, that it was not really needed to know it before Traveling that short distance. But here was another matter.

"About four, five hours, High Mistress, depending on how much we Channel," Sheriam replied.

She had thought this was always a requirement, but Mesaana's question implied that it was not. And how did Mesaana herself Travel so quickly, had she been here before today?

"How can we make it less than that?" she asked.

"It's a trick, but one that takes a long time to learn. What did you notice about this room when you entered?"

Sheriam blinked, threw a quick glance around.

"No, don't look around again," Mesaana stopped her.

"It's large even for a ballroom, has a huge, stone fireplace, there are a number of oak tables against the wall," Sheriam started, trailed off as even as she spoke she knew what she said was utterly inadequate.

Mesaana shook her head. "There are ten tables, all set flush against the wall except for the second from the rear which is just a little off on the near end. The table closest to us has a large knot in the wood on its left front leg, and stands on a floor tile noticeably darker than the ones next to it. The fireplace is sixteen stones in width, ten stones high, and just over one pace deep. There's a twisted, rusty piece of iron on the right side of the fireplace, that might have held a bracket for the fireplace tools. The ceiling has five crumbled places where the chandeliers must have hung, and it is otherwise laced with small cracks. They're hard to describe in full but there's one shaped like a rabbit head near the entrance and one shaped like a fish with a large eye right above us."

Sheriam looked around, amazed at the detail Mesaana named without so much as a second glance, and she suspected the things she had named were only a small sample. She herself hadn't even noticed the ceiling at all, had not noticed the Chosen look up either, but she must have.

"Get into the habit of being more observant, wherever you are, even if you already know the place or have no intention to Travel. Look at every detail. The tile of the floor, the stones or boards of the wall, the grain of the wood, the details of furniture and every other item in the room. It takes much practice to get really quick, when I was your age I was down to about twenty minutes, and I was taught to study my surroundings ever since I learned to channel. But even a little practice will noticeable cut down the time it takes to Learn a place, and you should be able to bring down your time to around an hour in a year or so. Progress is quicker at first."

That would be useful to learn! And of little help right now, Sheriam realized. She would have to come here later tonight and Learn the room the old way. Even though she would rarely have time to take an active part in the circles, she wanted to be able to Travel back and forth without having to rely on one of the Black sisters, or waste time skimming.

"I will start working on it," she said.

Mesaana nodded, then opened the gateway and they stepped back through to the White Tower.

-0-

Sheriam sent for the Black sisters and saw them off to Malkier. She told them to take one set of Myrddraal and keep them there in case any were needed quickly, and to otherwise concentrate on Learning the place. Then it was time to go with Egwene to the testing of Sharina.

She walked with Egwene to the lower levels of the Tower, where the ter'angreal used in the testing stood. Entering the room, she saw Margory, Talva and Carlinya sitting at the three corners of the ter'angreal. Birlen stood next to the table with the three chalices, two empty now, and the seven sisters representing each Ajah were, in fact, Black as well. Silviana oversaw it all. Red or not, Sheriam now was glad of Egwene's choice. She suspected Tiana would have more difficulty adjusting, but Silviana could as well have been a Black sister all along.

"Report," Sheriam ordered.

"The first one was safe, I'm sure. She was unsettled but no different from any other. And there is no reason why anything in her past would lead to us. The second time she seemed more wary than usual, but it is hard to say whether she saw anything that pointed to the Black or not. Almost any scenario about the present would have to do with the Last Battle in some way, and she does understand that what she sees is not real. The last, well, we will have to see. I expect her to come out before too long."

Sheriam nodded. "I wish we could take the novices and Accepted also, they do pose a risk in spite of their lack of training. Especially now we have some older women who are used to acting on their own. Unfortunately I don't see how we could do that, taking the full sisters and possibly other adult channelers in just four weeks will strain our resources far enough. I suppose at some point we will catch up and guarantee their loyalty either when they come to the Tower or when they test for Accepted, but we won't make it before the Last Battle."

There was a slight flicker from the arches, and Sheriam halted. It was pleasant to be able to speak with only Black sisters and turned, but any time now Sharina could reappear from the ter'angreal.

And a good thing too that she had fallen quiet, for while most of those who were tested had a hard time tearing themselves lose from whatever they saw inside, Sharina appeared almost instantly, bursting from the arches at a run. Only several steps from the ter'angreal she halted, looked around and shuddered.

Birlen picked up the third chalice and handed it to Egwene, who came forward while Sheriam stood back and observed. She had no task in the ceremony itself, it wasn't even required for her to accompany the Amyrlin, not here within the Tower itself, so she could easily watch Sharina's behavior. The woman was flustered, breathing hard, but that was to be expected. What was not usual was the way she started at the sight of Talva, just now rising from her place at the arches, and Larissa, who stood among the other sisters for the Yellow. The woman knelt, as she had been instructed to do, but she did not bow her head completely, and positioned herself so that she would not turn her back to either of the supposedly Yellow sisters.

Egwene poured the water from the final chalice over Sharina's head. "You are washed clean of Sharina Melloy of Shilene, You are washed clean of all ties that bind you to the world. You come to us washed clean, in body and soul. You are Sharina Melloy, Accepted of the White Tower. You are sealed to us, now."

Egwene handed the chalice back to Birlen, and took the gold ring from her pouch. Sharina raised her left hand, and Egwene put the ring on the third finger. The Great Serpent ring fit easily on her hand, and Egwene helped the older woman to her feet.

"Welcome, Daughter," Egwene said, kissing Sharina first on one cheek, then the other. "Welcome."

"Come get yourself dried off," Silviana said, as she handed Sharina a towel.

The older woman took it, but even as she dried her hair and face, she threw another quick glance at Talva, then her eyes flicked to Larissa. Then she looked at Silviana, at Egwene, and back, seemed to hesitate.

It was custom not to speak of what had happened to them during the test, but many did seek some form of reassurance after, a confirmation that it was not a Foretelling of what was to come. If Sharina had been any other, any regular novice just off her mother's apron strings, Sheriam might still trust Silviana to talk her out of any foolish notions that what she had seen was more than a reflection of her own fears, combined with the current strong influence of the Dark One on the Pattern. But Sharina would not be so easily convinced.

"Take her," she ordered. The glow of Saidar sprang up around all the Black, and Egwene put the shield in place before Sharina had time to react. The strongest by far, Sheriam had instructed Egwene to shield her first. She then told some of the other Black to link and take the shield.

"All of you?" Sharina breathed, as she looked around, eyes flitting from one to the other. "So it can be done!"

Well, that confirmed she had seen too much.

Silviana reached for the Accepted dress, with its multi-colored bands along the hem. "Put this on. It does no harm, but it is frightening enough when you are dressed."

Sharina looked at the dress as if it were a viper about to strike, then she straightened and met Silviana's eyes defiantly.

"Why should I believe anything you say?" she asked. "Your Oaths are meaningless."

"You lived among people who weren't held by any Oaths until just a few months ago, I think you can tell I'm telling the truth quite well without them," Silviana replied calmly. "The turning does not hurt you, but there are Myrddraal used in the procedure, and I will not let you face them naked."

She held out the dress again. Sharina looked Silviana in the eye for a few, long moments, then took it and pulled it over her head without another word.

Sheriam opened the gateway to Malkier. "Silviana, I want you to Learn the turning room as well, but not now. Skim back with her when she is done, the other Accepted and the novices will start to wonder what happened if she is gone too long. The rest of you, if you can be missed, do remain. The sooner everyone can freely Travel back and forth, the better."

Acknowledging nods all around. Quite possibly they'd had other plans for the evening, but the Black sisters followed her orders quickly and without questioning them, far more so than those not of the Black, who were wont to argue even about orders that came directly from the Amyrlin. Hierarchy and discipline had always been more strict within the Black, even before Mesaana had taken charge.

On her way back to Egwene's study and her anteroom, Sheriam flagged down a passing novice and sent the woman off to find Malind, stressing that the Amyrlin wanted to see both her and her Warders. The Green had to be taken today, in spite of the hour and the fact that Sheriam hadn't had time to eat dinner yet, while it was now past Supper.

She sent another message out to the Red sisters, urging them to chose at least one Sitter for the Hall who was actually here. She wanted one of the Red chairs filled when the Dragon's envoy came, and such a decision might well take a few days to make.

It took some time for Malind to show up, and Sheriam found herself wishing she had sent for food from the kitchens. She got a little of the regular paperwork out of the way and at some point Gawyn appeared with a report about the murder investigation. A rather useless report, no one had seen or heard anything unusual, and the killer had left no clues. He tried to convince Egwene to retire for the day, and she had to get quite firm with him before he would leave. The young man was quite an annoyance.

Finally Malind arrived with her two Warders. Together with Egwene, it was easy to take the Sitter. Sheriam opened a gateway to Malkier and handed her off to the Black sisters without stepping through herself. She instructed them to hold the Sitter in Malkier until she returned, for while she needed to give Malind her new instructions, she needed food first.

She went down to the dining room for a quick meal. The place was almost empty, but Laras knew there were always some sisters who were too busy to eat at regular mealtimes and there was fresh, hot food at least until Full, if not later.

As she hurriedly ate, she thought of Laras. The woman was not a Friend of the Dark, definitely not, and Sheriam wondered if she would leave the Tower when, eventually, they did come out into the open and she found out Mesaana ruled. Or if she would try to do something stupid and desperate, although she didn't think Laras was the kind of woman for that. If only there was some way to take those who couldn't channel! Many people would think of Laras as only a cook, but Sheriam had always known that good servants for key positions were hard to find, and since she was Keeper she appreciated Laras' skills even more. In spite of the shortage of food and the general chaos in the Tower when they had arrived, the kitchens were run smoothly and the supplies purchased as well and as cheaply as anyone could expect in these times -and better. And while several maids and stableboys had either ran off or left after the Seanchan raid, not a single woman from the kitchens had gone. Compulsion wouldn't do, someone under strong compulsion wouldn't be able to function half as well. No, she hoped she would be able to convince Laras to remain, when it came to that.

She shoved the last bit of food in her mouth and left the plate on the table. The food had given her new energy, and after weaving a secure ward on her quarters, she Traveled to Malkier.

The Black sisters had by now been in the old ballroom for nearly four hours, and they were close to being able to Travel. Irna and Cheryl, who had led the circles that turned Sharina and Malind, were closest, the channeling still helped more than the studying of each detail, at least this first time they tried it.

"We've been all over looking at everything," Irna told her. "It's not so much spotting the details as remembering them that is hard. I'd study the tables and when I come to the last, I'd find I've already forgotten which leg had the knot of wood on the first. And I don't understand how it works, I can Travel from anywhere in the Tower but I have no idea how many floor tiles the entrance hall has, or how many stones there are on the hearth in the library."

"But you would notice if they were suddenly different," Margory put in. "You know exactly what everything looks like, but only subconsciously. If you notice the details consciously, it's just quicker. Eventually," she added.

"Well, keep at it, Mesaana was clear it was a very long process," Sheriam replied. She was trying to look around herself, had been anywhere she went, the room with the three arches ter'angreal, the dining room, the halls, but found it very distracting. She had so much to do already! Even now, Malind was waiting for her, and she took the woman apart in one corner of the room.

The Green Sitter was distraught but too sensible to argue. She glanced unhappily at her Warders, who stood leaning against the wall but had a far more distracted look in their eyes than the typical Warder alertness, even as she listened to the instructions Sheriam gave her.

Soon enough Sheriam saw Cheryl open a gateway.

"You can go," she told Malind. At least in Tar Valon, the compulsion on the Warders could be lighter, here it had to be strong to stop them questioning the place itself and the happenings they saw in front of them.

Malind hastily got up and gestured to her Warders. Then she stopped and turned.

"You are a Borderlander. Don't you worry what will happen?"

For a moment Sheriam hesitated. She could dismiss the woman, and just not answer at all.

"The Borderlands will get hit hard no matter what side we're on," she said then.

Malind frowned, but when Sheriam said nothing more, she turned again and left through Cheryl's gateway.

Sheriam watched her go. She did sometimes worry about her family back in Saldaea, but she had lost touch with them in the years she had spent in Tar Valon. The White Tower was her home now. And while lately it had been a harsh life, with stakes much higher, for most of the time since the Breaking the Black and the Friends of the Dark had benefited from their allegiance. Influential positions, in the Tower or elsewhere, few of those who served the Light -and even few of those who served the Great Lord- knew how extensive their network was. Those who served the Great Lord had reached their positions because of this, and those who survived would get the best pickings when all was over again. Who would survive, well, many deaths would fall on both sides, that was the risk and reality of living in the Borderlands.

She noticed Cheryl was standing nearby, waiting.

"Yes?" she asked.

"Sheriam, do you want us to start the circles immediately now we can Travel both ways?" the Black sister asked.

Sheriam considered. "Only those you are quite close to, whom you can visit at this time of the evening and take without rousing the least bit suspicion. Or other Black who haven't been secured yet. There will be frequent patrols in the halls, the sisters are all ours but there will also be Tower guard and Warders, and those not on patrol will also be more likely to notice who goes where. Also be careful not to become the assassin's next victim yourself. What we can do is take care of Corianin, Jalila and the others from the Kandori farm, and the Aringill group as well. Tell them to be available to fill the circles for the coming period, too. Tomorrow the rest of the Hall must be taken so they will not ask bothersome questions related to the Dragon's visit or for that matter anything else."

Cheryl acknowledged, and soon there were two circles set up. Sheriam led one of them herself, securing five of the weaker sisters from the farm before passing control over to Nesita, who still had to learn the weaves. Cheryl and Irna proved the channeling helped more than the studying of their surroundings, on short term at least, and she also simply wanted the pleasure of leading. Then she watched as Nesita led, and when she was sure the other woman had the weave down, she let go of the link and surveyed the others. In spite of the hour and precautions, Cheryl and Irna had managed to bring several non-Black sisters, and it was becoming harder to keep track of who was and wasn't taken.

Sheriam realized she hadn't heard back from Dagdara, had she managed to get all residue readers on the murder investigation team? They needed some code by which the Black sisters could report who was turned or secured, and she needed a safe way to write them down. Learning the names of all the Black was difficult enough in itself, without Alviarin there to tell her -she had learned several names of those who were not in the Tower, and hoped she knew all- but keeping track of every full sister while they were being taken at such a rate, that was impossible just off the top of her head.

Then she smiled as she thought of the Bookstrap. Yes, tomorrow she would ask Mesaana if she could have it, the Chosen undoubtedly had other ways of keeping the journal safely hidden. It would be the perfect tool to hide her own list, and using the traitor's ter'angreal would be particularly satisfying.

A few innocuous-sounding code phrases were quickly thought up, and by then Sheriam tried and found she could Travel. She went back to Tar Valon and her quarters, to catch what sleep she could in these hectic times.


	10. Murder and mayhem

**Murder and mayhem.**

The next day started quietly enough, her breakfast for once uninterrupted and no surprise visits. Sheriam knew the Black was busy with the Hall, and she herself took Rubinde, who had two Warders, with aid of Egwene. Then she started her list of those who had been taken. Mesaana had immediately agreed to let her have the Bookstrap, had clearly enjoyed putting it to this use.

Of course it didn't last. Irna burst into her anteroom at Trine.

"There has been another murder. Kateri, she must have been killed last night. Poor Kat, I knocked on her door last night but got no answer, so I went and took Ferane instead."

The Black sister was clearly distraught, almost in tears. She must have been close with Kateri, she would be to have gone to her quarters the previous night. Many Black sisters had maintained the friendships they had made as novices and Accepted, and more than likely Irna had even looked forward to taking her friend so she would no longer have to keep this one big secret from her.

Sheriam felt uneasy as well, although for a different reason. Last night, that meant the killer had struck morning and night of the same day. He -or she- was getting bolder.

"If there was no answer, she was likely dead already," Sheriam told Irna. "And if it was anything like the others, it would have made little difference unless you had found her within minutes of the attack."

Irna bit her lip, then nodded.

"Tell the sisters on the investigating team what time you were there. They are turned," Sheriam had checked with Dagdara that morning, "but give another reason for your visit anyway for Gawyn and the guards' sake."

Sheriam wondered if she needed to go to the White's quarters herself, but she still didn't know what to look for, hadn't seen anything remotely useful in the other three cases. She decided it wouldn't do any good. Now she was sure the sisters who were on the case wouldn't go and hunt the Black, there really was no need.

"Tell Nisain and Gawyn to report to the Amyrlin as soon as they are done at the scene," she instructed.

Irna acknowledged and left.

Before long Nisain and Akkarin arrived, but they had little to report. Like in the other cases, there was no residue of anything except a basic door ward, Kateri hadn't been killed with the One Power and hadn't channeled in defense either.

It was a little after the two residue-readers left before Gawyn came to see Egwene. His face was grim and he looked slightly annoyed when Sheriam followed him into Egwene's study. He didn't particularly distrust her -fortunately Egwene had not named her to Gawyn as she had to Siuan- but he still would rather have spoken to Egwene alone. When his scowl produced no result, he started with his report.

"Kateri was stabbed like the others, and she never had a chance, several wounds were deep enough to kill immediately. There were some books knocked onto the floor, but the struggle must have been brief, perhaps she only swept them off the desk as she fell. She had no time to call out or, apparently, to channel, at least that's the one thing I could get out of the sisters investigating. It really would help if they shared more of their information with me."

"There isn't much to share, the One Power is not used in these murders," Egwene pointed out. "If they find anything useful, I will make sure they let you know. I want this assassin stopped, we all do."

"That may be so, but I wonder if the sisters investigating the murders know what it takes to catch him. Kateri herself must have been sitting at her desk with her back to the door, not a good thing when an assassin is on the lose. You should at least stress that this killer can strike within their rooms, tell them to be alert even there and use stronger wards."

"I will do that," Egwene assured him.

Sheriam approved. The Black were still doing well taking the other sisters, and as long as she stressed that the assassin was likely someone who couldn't channel, the difficulty in taking sisters for the turning shouldn't be too great. And she did not want to lose any more sisters, Black or any other Ajah!

"I did find a few things of interest. Kateri's lock was forced, it showed small scratches. Of course anyone who could get through a ward would hardly be stopped by a lock, any regular thief would have been able to pick that, but it is all the more reason not to feel safe inside ones own rooms. Also there was a small scrap of black fabric, just a few fibers. It's not certain it came from the assassin, but it was silk, too fine for one of the servants to wear, and none of the sisters wears black."

Perhaps soon, Sheriam thought briefly. But he was correct, none of the sisters currently wore black, just like none had worn red at Salidar.

"It might be an indication it's someone who hides and moves by stealth, rather than one who goes around posing as one of the servants, a guardsman or any other cover," Gawyn continued. "Although I would not suggest fully trusting anyone. It is a theory only, and it's not even certain our assassin uses the same methods every time."

"Still it is something," Egwene said. "Would a Gray Man wear silk?"

"He might, depending on his status in the world before he gave his soul to the Dark One," Sheriam replied. And depending on the status of who employed it, she rather thought a Gray Man sent by Graendal would be wearing silk and other fine materials. But while Graendal's tastes were common knowledge and the murders alone would've been enough reason for her to gather more details about Gray Men, she would rather err on the cautious side. No reason to make Gawyn wonder where she got her information, however briefly.

Gawyn nodded grimly.

"There is one more thing. None of those killed had a Warder."

"Of course not, the assassin wouldn't want to alert the Warders," Egwene said.

"So maybe they should have had one. Egwene, you should have more Warders."

Sheriam frowned, what was he getting at?

"What do you mean?" Egwene asked.

"The Last Battle is less than a month off, and yet there are many sisters without a Warder. Too many. Some never had one, others had one but never took another after he died. You can't afford this."

"What are you suggesting, that I should command the Aes Sedai to bond Warders?" Egwene asked incredulously.

Sheriam shook her head, that would be folly.

Gawyn must have heard the tone of Egwene's voice, even if he was watching her and hadn't seen Sheriam's reaction. But he was unfazed.

"Yes," he stated.

"Gawyn, I don't have that kind of power," Egwene replied, trying to laugh it off.

"Then get the Hall to do it," he said.

"You don't understand what you're suggesting. Bonding a Warder is a very personal, a very intimate decision. No one should be forced to do it," Egwene pointed out.

"The choice to go to war is 'personal' and 'intimate' also," Gawyn argued. "Yet all over the land, men are called into it, like it or not. The Last Battle doesn't leave us much room for 'personal' or 'intimate' feelings, it will come and staying alive is more important than those feelings.

"In the Last Battle, every Aes Sedai is going to be of vital importance. There will be waves of Trollocs and Myrddraal, every sister will be worth a hundred soldiers in the field and every sister Healing will save dozens of lives as well. A Warder helps keep them alive. You owe it to the sisters and to all of the world to provide them with the best protection you can. During the Last Battle and before."

Egwene frowned and hesitated, seemingly at a loss to think of ways to counter those arguments. Sheriam had less difficulty, while his arguments seemed to make sense to him, they were typical male arguments. Typical Warder arguments, even if Gawyn himself wasn't bonded yet.

"In the Last Battle itself, a Warder is as likely to be a liability as an asset," Sheriam pointed out. "If it were only Trollocs and Myrddraal we faced, that would be different. But there will be channelers on the other side too, those of the Black who escaped and the Light only knows how many others. The Warders can not defend against their attacks, instead we will have to defend them. And you know how the death of a Warder affects a sister. Warders are useful when traveling on the road, and in battles fought with regular weapons, but not so much in a battle fought with the One Power. During the Seanchan raid, Warders were of little help, ten out of twenty-six taken by the Seanchan did have a Warder."

"But most Warders weren't with their sister in the Tower at the time," Gawyn said. "Several were taken before the Warders could reach their sister from their own quarters. In the Last Battle, they would set out together from the start. And it would discourage the assassin we have within the Tower."

Sheriam shook her head in disgust. No doubt Gawyn would charge headlong into a battle fought with the One Power to defend Egwene, just like any Warder would. Just like Arinvar and the other Warders had insisted on guarding the Dragon, who could have killed them all before they could even have drawn their swords, if he hadn't been shielded.

"Your concern is noted, but a sword will not protect against the One Power, like it or not that is a fact. It should be up to each sister to decide whether she wants the protection you can provide against the physical attacks from Trollocs and Myrddraal, coupled with the risk of losing her Warder in the midst of the battle, or whether she chooses to rely on the soldiers to keep the Trollocs away, with less personal protection but no distraction if any one of them falls. As for the murders, yes, it does seem those with a Warder are safe from this particular assassin, but we still hope to catch him or her soon. The Warder bond is for life, we can't tell sisters to bond a Warder to guard themselves against such a temporary threat."

"I wonder if that is what Kateri would say if she could go back in time," Gawyn shot back.

"Gawyn," Egwene looked shocked, but Gawyn refused to back down.

"Well? She's dead, Egwene, and she wouldn't be if she'd had a Warder."

The young man should be put in his place, it was all too clear he wanted Egwene to bond him and more than that, but he was not her Warder yet. But it ought to be up to Egwene to call him back, she should be careful not to overstep her authority. Her official authority. Only when Egwene did not counter, Sheriam spoke up again.

"Or she might have simply woven a far stronger ward on her door, placed her desk so she could see who came in, or spent the evening with a friend," Sheriam said sharply. "The point is, she could have prevented her death in other ways, without tying herself to a Warder for the next fifty years or more. Unfortunately, there is no way to send a message back in time, so this kind of speculation is useless and unnecessary."

Gawyn glared at her, looked as if he wanted to speak, then with a gesture of frustration turned to Egwene.

"Fine, so an order to bond a Warder is out. Will you at least get the word out that the four sisters were likely chosen because they had no Warder, and suggest taking one might be a good idea? That way each sister can decide for herself."

"Gawyn, I'm sure everyone knows all four victims had no Warder, and they can draw that conclusion for themselves. The practice of bonding a Warder for protection is hardly unknown even if not everyone chooses to use it," Egwene assured him.

"Just like anyone _should_ know not to sit with their back to the door when an assassin is on the lose. Some things need to be said, Egwene."

The problem was, he had a point. There really was no reason not to at least make the information official, and to add some words of advise.

"We will include the fact that none had a Warder in the announcement we make today, but there will be no pressure to bond. Or no more than the murders themselves provide," Sheriam said.

Egwene looked surprised, but she too had to realize that not mentioning this fact at all would be hard to explain. She quickly recovered. "Yes, we will do that."

Gawyn nodded briskly. He started to turn towards the door, then stopped. His eyes rested on Sheriam for just a brief moment, then he focused on Egwene.

"And you? When will you take me as your Warder? You can be missed least of all, allow me to protect you."

It was more than just the Tower Gawyn was thinking of, that much was obvious. Perhaps he would follow her, when he found out. But not now. Egwene might be distracted, far less confident and decisive when facing Gawyn than any of the Aes Sedai, even the Hall, but she could handle this much.

"No, Gawyn. I can not. I am the Amyrlin, the entire Tower Guard and all of the Warders do in a way protect me, and I from my end can not afford to be more concerned about any one individual when it comes to that. I can promise you I will use a strong ward on my rooms and I will not sit with my back to the door."

Gawyn must have realized pushing further was no use. "Yes, watch yourself, Egwene, if you will not let me do it," he said softly. Then without waiting to be dismissed, he turned and left the room.  
Egwene let out a long breath as she shook her head.

"I guess it makes it easier I can't bond him just now, because I really don't know what I would do otherwise," she confessed.

"You really must be more forceful with him. Warders are protective, that is their job, but they tend to be too good at it. Give him too much leeway and he will stick to your side like a burr, never letting you out of sight. Many men are like that and Warders are worse," Sheriam told her.

For just a moment Egwene looked at her, then recognized the advise for what it was, not an order.

"Thank you, Sheriam," she said.

With a brief nod, Sheriam went back to her anteroom, leaving Egwene at her desk.

-0-

The Red surprised her by submitting two new Sitters before Dinner. They did not specify which of the three absent sisters would be replaced, and Sheriam wasn't sure what this would mean if, for instance, two of those now missing returned at the same time, but they would deal with that if and when it happened.

They had chosen Barasine, a strict but generally fair woman, and Memara, who was really a Black. Apparently Memara's failure to get anywhere with Tenobia was not serious enough to keep her out of the Hall -Sheriam had found the report noting the Red/Black sister had been sent by Alviarin to bring Tenobia under control, an assignment of course for the Black more than for the Tower, but Tenobia had left her behind soon after, and Memara had returned to Tar Valon when it became clear following Tenobia was not going to do any good.

Regardless of successes, failures or alliances, Sheriam sent out the orders for Barasine to be taken, and Memara to be secured. She picked Saerin for the task, while not originally a Black, the Sitter was reliable and the Black sisters were already quite busy.

For the Black lost no time now that they had a larger place. Reports came in all day of sisters taken and others secured. Sheriam checked them off on her list. If the Tower was buzzing with activity, and some sisters weren't quite able to appear unfazed, most would attribute this to the Dragon's visit of the previous day. And indeed some of those not yet on her list, those with Warders or simply not taken yet, wore similar expressions.

The most bothersome was the insistence of some of those not yet turned -and with Warders- to join the patrols guarding against the killer. Finally she put Adelorna and Hattori on the last shift, starting after midnight. The day's turnings would be done by then, few could be approached without drawing attention at that time anyhow.

-0-

The next day the turnings continued. Nesita was taking the Red at great speed, and reports from her and others came in at a steady stream. No murder had been done that night, and the night patrol had not disturbed the Black.

Just after Dinner, Nynaeve entered her anteroom and greeted her.

"Egwene has requested to see me," she said, almost moving as if to walk on in.

Sheriam looked at her calmly. "I will let the Amyrlin know you are here. She is very busy," she said pointedly.

Nynaeve frowned. The woman did have a problem with authority. Always had, even when she had just arrived at the Tower. Well, they would deal with that soon enough.

Sheriam went into Egwene's study.

"Nynaeve is here," she said, even as she channeled Fire and Spirit into the Call rod.

Egwene sighed.

"You are concerned about her," Sheriam stated.

"Yes," Egwene said. "I'm afraid she won't be able to accept authority much better than Siuan, with her temper and all. Well you know her. And with Moghedien… How far can she go before her Healing is less important than her behavior?"

"Tell her that," Sheriam said. "She does have half a head of sense on her."

She hoped she was right, she was not beyond bringing someone in line, but no doubt Moghedien's methods were excessive.

Mesaana arrived.

"Nynaeve is here," Sheriam told her, and Mesaana looked pleased.

The Chosen took the sa'angreal, changed her appearance, to that of a novice this time. Nynaeve hadn't been gone from the Tower _that_ long, she would know the Accepted, but new novices arrived a dozen a day, literally.

Sheriam took out her own angreal, Nynaeve was too strong to take lightly. Then she went back into her anteroom.

"The Amyrlin can see you now," she said and stepped aside, allowing Nynaeve to pass before following after her. Nynaeve looked back at her with a frown, irritated at her following, but that was alright. It meant she took even less notice of Mesaana's presence.

The next instant, Sheriam heard the indrawn hiss even as she noticed the flows Mesaana lashed out with, the stunning weaves of Earth, Water and Air. Nynaeve fell hard on the floor, even as Mesaana followed up with the shield. The Chosen rushed in and pulled the belt off Nynaeve's waist. Then, more calmly, she took the ornate bracelet and ring the young woman wore.

"Darkness within," Mesaana cursed. "Where did she find that? A Well, an angreal, and Detectors. That could've gone a lot worse if someone who didn't know the set had tried to take her."

"I'm sorry, High Mistress. I had seen her with those, she even wears them in Tel'aran'rhiod, but I didn't know what they were," Egwene said, looking rather pale.

"No matter," Mesaana said dismissively. "You couldn't know. Let's get on with it."

Egwene opened the gateway, and Sheriam went back to her anteroom when Mesaana and Egwene had taken Nynaeve through. In spite of the brief scare and the strange way Nynaeve, too, seemed almost ta'veren at times, she was no longer worried. There were multiple circles at Malkier, and the turning would be done quickly.

Very soon Mesaana and Nynaeve emerged from Egwene's study. Mesaana looked satisfied, showed no sign of anything untoward happening. The Chosen was disguised as Accepted again, now Nynaeve knew who she was.

"Tomorrow immediately after Breakfast you will report to me on Al'Thor, Elayne and anything else that might be even remotely relevant," Mesaana instructed the young woman.

Nynaeve knelt. "Yes, High Mistress."

"Sheriam, I would like you to be there also. It may take some time, reschedule any appointments before Trine."

"Yes, High Mistress," she too replied.

With that, Mesaana left. It was up to Sheriam to brief Nynaeve further on the status of the Tower.  
Nynaeve got up from her kneeling position but she curtsied deep. "Sheriam Sedai," she said, far more correctly than when she had first arrived.

"Sit down," Sheriam told her, and Nynaeve did.

Quickly, Sheriam told the young woman what quarters she had been assigned, and then brought her up to date on what had been done here.

Nynaeve responded quicker and more correctly than she and Egwene had feared the woman would. So she did know how to behave when really necessary.

"Now I know you came here ready to take the test for the Shawl, but after this it will be understood if you would rather wait a day or two," Sheriam finished. "It is a strenuous test, you must be sure you are up to it."

"I am. After this…," Nynaeve shook her head but looked determined. "Or even if it is worse, I will pass, I have to. Myrelle can not hold me off then."

So that was what she wanted. Or at least part of what she wanted, for there were others also who did not yet see Nynaeve as a full sister, but her feelings for Lan had been clear to all who cared to look. Sheriam considered. Not all the Black's Warders were Friends of the Dark, if the turning itself was done and would not alarm him, there was little immediate risk. And he would be a valuable man to have under compulsion, far more useful when Nynaeve held his bond than when Myrelle did, who had other Warders and would be more difficult to take.

Sheriam nodded. "I will let the Sitters know. They will decide who will judge your test and summon you, likely before evening."

She did not know who would do the testing. There would be at least one of the Yellow, and Sedore was more likely than Romanda, but even if it would be Romanda it was not up to her to interfere. The Hall chose, and while she could override their decisions now, she would not use that authority unless really necessary. Either Romanda or Lelaine would make it difficult for Nynaeve, but many of them had had to face a difficult Sitter. In her own case, it had been Tsutama, who had come up with some very nasty tests and had voted against her after all that. No, Nynaeve was on her own for the testing, just like Sharina had been on her own within the arches. At least there was no concern about what Nynaeve might see.

"Thank you," Nynaeve replied, almost too eager. Did she realize the impact the compulsion would have on Lan? In spite of how useful the Warder might be, she felt she had to caution the young woman.

"You may not want to thank me later," she said. "You will have to fuzz the bond at times, and more than that, since we can not turn those who can't channel, you will have to compel him. For the Last Battle and before. That will be hard on any man, but with his background…"

"If I don't do it, someone else will have to," Nynaeve said. "Or he may even be killed."

Sheriam nodded.

Nynaeve's face was anguished but her voice was steady. "Then I will do it."

Nynaeve hesitated as if she wanted to say something more, but did not. Should she ask? Sheriam knew Nynaeve liked to act on her own, but the turning was reliable and whatever it was wouldn't hurt their cause. And the younger woman had shown good sense in her behavior here. She'd let her prepare for the test and whatever it was would come up tomorrow at the woman's full briefing, if it was important.

-0-

When Nynaeve had left, Sheriam went back to her work, the reports and requests that came with running the Tower as any other time. She denied a request to replace some older horses of the guard -grain and fodder was dear, and they could use gateways now, the old horses could be sold without being replaced. Which reminded her to send out more sisters to refresh the Keeping on the stores, it kept failing and there were weevils in much of the grain. She held some hopes the Keeping would hold this time, for the random bubbles of chaos seemed to lessen, not a single report of those had come in all day.

By evening, Sedore reported Nynaeve had passed her test, and against all custom had Traveled off to see Myrelle. Well that was to be expected, and did not worry Sheriam. Nynaeve might be difficult at times, but she had shown sense that afternoon, and her abilities were great. On the whole she would be an asset to the Tower. Unlike some others. After Sedore had left, Moria came to see her. The Black sister made no effort to hide her anger once the door had closed behind her.

"Lelaine is impossible and I'm not sure she can be trusted," she started off.

Sheriam waited. She did not point out that the turning was absolute. Moria knew that and if she still didn't trust the Blue Sitter then she would have reason for that.

"First it was her Warder. I told her to use compulsion on Burin, and she argued. She had not kept a secret from him in many years and he would follow her no matter what. In fact she had tried to join the Black, she said, and she _demanded_ to know why I had ignored her hints, and whether the Warders had also ignored Trevin, who was her Warder back then, when he had tried to find a Black sister."

Sheriam breathed in sharply. Lelaine had had her Warder ask around to find a Black? The woman had taken a ridiculous risk! "Thank the Great Lord you didn't recruit her."

Moria sniffed. "Only a complete fool would have, even without knowing about Trevin. She was much too obvious."

Sheriam nodded. When she had been raised to the shawl, Lelaine had seemed nice enough on the surface, but she had never trusted her, hadn't really understood how Siuan could be such close friends with her. She may have curbed the dangerous level of her ambitions when she had first reached her position as a Sitter, but it was always present. And more recently, when Lelaine and Romanda had become pitched against each other, Sheriam had had her feelings about the Blue confirmed.

"By then I'd had enough of her insolence," Moria continued. "I slammed her down on her knees and lashed her, and I explained that one didn't argue in the Black like one might in the Blue, and also that she was not accepted into the Black just by the turning alone. She did use the compulsion when I let go of her, but Sheriam, the look she gave me, pure hatred. And to top it off, she proceeded to promise me she would make name for herself in the Black although she would submit to my orders 'for now'."

Sheriam shook her head in disbelief. "She really did?"

Moria nodded. "But what concerns me, I think she has the typical outsiders view of the Black, expecting promotion to be by clearing those higher up out of the way."

That of course was a common misconception. Most of the Black reached their position primarily over the backs of those of other Ajahs, and even then most of the backstabbing was done in figurative sense only. To actually kill those in the way, well, it had been done, and within the Black itself, but it was very rare, and those who did either had to be very strong or would quickly regret it. When a sister used murder to get ahead, the next person up was hardly likely to wait idly to see if she had reached the summit of her ambitions. Only a few at or near the very top had killed their predecessors and gotten away with it.

"She couldn't possibly think that would work," Sheriam said, but it was a way of expressing her astonishment rather than a literal statement. Lelaine probably did.

"I told her it didn't work that way, but I could tell she did not believe me. And the turning may not stop her, she is deluded enough to think that if she gains position, even at the cost of others, it will benefit the cause."

Great, just great. As if one assassin on the lose wasn't enough, now they'd have to worry about Lelaine? That wouldn't do.

"I will call her in and try to get through to her," Sheriam decided. "If she truly cannot see reason, she will have to be dealt with."

"Thank you," Moria nodded. She made no issue at being passed up in the ranks of the Black herself. Perhaps she was a bit envious, but few would envy her too much for her position so close to Mesaana.

The hour as late but that made it easier to do what had to be done, less chance of people still coming in to see her or the Amyrlin. Sheriam had delegated several of the more routine tasks to Egwene, but many things she preferred to keep in hand herself, and the more sisters were turned, the fewer asked to see Egwene in person. She summoned Lelaine after Egwene had left for supper.

The Blue Sitter came quickly enough, but this was likely as much because it suited her than out of a sudden, more general obedience. Sheriam saw no need to ask Lelaine for her side of the story first, she trusted Moria's report. As soon as Lelaine had entered, she locked and strongly warded the outer door, ensuring no one could come in or hear the Sitter's screams.

"Fuzz the bond," she told Lelaine.

Lelaine frowned. "What is this about?"

"Moria told me you seemed to have some difficulty taking orders, and it seems she was right. Fuzz the bond, now," Sheriam snapped.

Lelaine squinted. "Done," she said, her apprehension not hiding a touch of sullenness.

"On your knees," Sheriam ordered.

Again Lelaine balked. "Sheriam, I did compel…"

That was enough. Sheriam channeled, simultaneously shielding the woman and slamming her down. Then she lashed her with flows of Air.

"Now, where to start. You will not question my orders. You may be a Sitter but you are a Sitter for the Blue, you are not a Black. You will take orders from the Black, whether it is me or Moria or Jalila or Mariyanna. If you want to get anywhere, anywhere at all, you can start with showing proper respect."

She held the lashes of Air until Lelaine replied. "Yes, Sheriam."

Then she released those flows, but she did not yet allow the woman to get up.

"Insubordination and independent action will not be tolerated. The Black has always had quite a bit of influence on who sits in the Hall, it is safe to say we now control it. I imagine the Ajahs' choices will stand as long as they act sensibly, but go too far out of line and I will see you replaced."

"I understand, Sheriam." The reply came quickly enough, but Sheriam was watching closely and she agreed with Moria's assessment. Lelaine either didn't believe or simply didn't want to accept the facts, and would likely continue to plot and manipulate as she had always done, as she could have done if this had been a dressing-down by the Amyrlin or one of her fellow Sitters. But she didn't know what to do right then to drive the point home, not without getting excessive for Lelaine's transgressions so far, and that would only reinforce the Sitter's ideas about the Black's level of violence.

"See that you do," she told Lelaine as she released the flows holding her down and shielded.

Even by the way Lelaine left her anteroom, Sheriam knew this was far from over. The way the Sitter walked out, head held high and sweeping into the hall with a swish of her skirts, showed suppressed anger rather than any kind of acceptance or submissiveness.

-0-

Sheriam sighed and went back to work. She would eat later, she still expected Mesaana for her evening visit and she would need a few more relatively quiet days before she was caught up.

Soon Mesaana came in. She used the Accepted disguise she wore most often coming here, and she looked pleased. As soon as she entered, she took a number of small, thin rods from a velvet pouch.

"Improved Call rods," she said with a satisfied smile. "These work in a group, there are seven of them. By channeling slightly different weaves, you can call each of the other six rods, and it will turn color to match the rod that was used to call it."

She demonstrated, and Sheriam was impressed.

"We will each have one of course, Egwene will get one, I'm sending one to the Aringill house and one to the farm. Also there will be one in Malkier, that leaves the last. I am not sure whom to give it to, I will keep it for now," Mesaana said.

Sheriam nodded, she did not have a suggestion for the last one at this time. After testing out the different weaves and noting which of the rods would go where, she put her own Call rod in her belt pouch. A very useful item indeed!

There was little else to report as Mesaana had been in that afternoon for Nynaeve, and Mesaana was just about to leave when there was a knock on her door. Sheriam opened it to find Nynaeve, Lan in tow. Sheriam looked at the tall Warder. His face was grim but he said nothing as he followed Nynaeve in.

Nynaeve curtsied, then knelt as she saw Mesaana. Nynaeve had looked calm as she entered, but she looked more concerned as Sheriam wove the ward and Mesaana motioned for her to rise.

"What do you have?" Sheriam asked her.

Nynaeve scowled. "He was riding for Tarwin's Gap. I knew that, and I knew I would have to call him in. What I did not know was the size of the group he had already gathered, at least three dozen armsmen, not including the servants and drivers."

"Where are they now?"

"Near the Arafel border, in Kandor," Nynaeve replied. "He rode from World's End. I knew he would ride to the far north and he was reluctant to gather followers, but it appears he found some."

"I did not find them, they found me," Lan pointed out. His voice was calm but his eyes were hard.

Nynaeve pulled her braid. "A fine point. Regardless, there are more than fifty men camped up there, all ready to defend Tarwin's Gap no matter what the cost. I don't know what to do with them."

"They could be useful. Can you bring them in for us?" Mesaana asked, looking at the tall Warder, but Sheriam shook her head before even hearing his answer.

"They are loyal to me because of who I am and where I was going. If they knew I was controlled by the Shadow, the moment they find out… they are Borderlanders, they fight against the Shadow and they wouldn't follow their own mother if she went to the Dark One's side," Lan replied. A dark scowl in the direction of Nynaeve told them he wouldn't follow her either, if he'd had any choice in the matter.

"A group that size is no serious threat, only dozens gathered on the long ride from World's End. What will happen if we leave them there?" Mesaana asked.

"They will remain there for a day or two, then ride on for Arafel. There will be more men joining there, we were not far from the Silverwall Keeps, and Arafel and Shienar have many more men with Malkieri heritage than the western Borderlands. Even if I am not actually there, they will tell people I rode with them and they expect my return, and people will take up arms who otherwise would remain to defend their own homes." Lan replied.

He answered each of the Chosen's questions promptly, but he kept scowling and Nynaeve had a look of intense concentration on her face, her braid grabbed in her fist.

"We can't have that. If you can not control them, they will die."

"They are not afraid to die, they will fight no matter what. We expected the odds at Tarwin's Gap would not be much better," Lan said flatly.

"I will take care of it," Mesaana decided. "Nynaeve, you will show me where exactly they are camped."

"Yes, High Mistress." Nynaeve's reply also came without hesitation, but her voice shook and she looked sick.

"Have him sketch the camp for me. It will take me about an hour to gather those I need."

"Yes, High Mistress," Nynaeve replied again.

Sheriam felt for her, this would take a strong compulsion. Any other Warder might at some point see the necessity, after the Last Battle was over. But this was al'Lan Mandragoran, uncrowned King of Malkier, and unless they found a way to turn the Warders, he was not likely to forgive Nynaeve for what she had done and would still do.

"I will send for you," Mesaana said, and dismissed her. Nynaeve knelt before leaving, Lan following closely behind.

"Get some supper quick, and be back here well within the hour. I will use Egwene's study and need you to keep anyone else out," the Chosen instructed, and Sheriam acknowledged. Mesaana did not seem to need her assistance for Lan's group, and Sheriam did not ask how she would deal with them.

-0-

Nynaeve led the way to the Yellow's quarters. The rooms assigned to her were spacey, empty still. She hadn't yet had time to unpack her single bag, let alone to procure anything in the way of her own furnishings or other personal items. There were the basics, bed and desk and a single chair. But no rug and even the linen was borrowed from the guest quarters of the Tower.

The only thing she had ordered immediately after her test was a second bed. The servants had been shocked at that request, unusual for a Yellow, but she had been firm and she noted with satisfaction that it had arrived, and was neatly made. In the study, but that was alright. She wanted him nearby, couldn't allow him too far out of her sight, but after what she'd had to do today, sharing a single bedroom wouldn't be comfortable. Might never be, she realized with a stab of pain.

"Fight it, damn you, Nynaeve," Lan bit at her.

He was fighting her, had been since the moment she had told him what had been done to her.

"I told you it can't be fought off or reversed."

"You've Healed Stilling, and the madness, both were thought to be impossible. They want you to believe it can't be undone."

"I want to believe it can't be undone. And if I find it can, that it can be reversed, I'll try to find a way to block that rather than use it."

Lan let out a sigh of frustration, turned and hit the back of the chair with his fist. Nynaeve felt his emotions rage, anger and a pain so deep it almost made her cry. There was no time for that though. She reached for her pack and dug through it, taking out writing implements and paper.

"Make the sketch," she ordered, at the same time pushing the order home through the bond. It met resistance, a wall of resistance. But it was like the wall of a tent, it gave when pushed and when she pushed harder, it parted.

The resistance faded from Lan's mind and he sat down at the desk to do as he was told. However he was hesitant, slow. He stared at the paper in front of him, an this time it was not because he was fighting her. She could still feel the struggle, but that was deep now, a soft stirring that could only just be felt. But the level of compulsion she had used was a distraction to him. She felt his confusion, an inability to concentrate on the matter at hand. He drew a mark in the middle of the paper, hesitated, made another mark and shook his head, crossing it out again.

This wouldn't do, she would have to take a different approach. Nynaeve thought of the different types of compulsion she had seen and used, then wove the flows putting a story into his head. Instead of sketching the camp for an assault on his own men, he was now warned of just such a plan, and Egwene and Lord Bryne needed to know the situation to help thwart the attack. It was a matter of bending the truth and Lan's mind easily accepted this version. He took a new sheet of paper and sketched the site and the immediate surroundings quickly and accurately.

It was a weave outside the bond, the bond could be used to force one to accept orders but not for a complete deception. Nynaeve felt bad about deceiving him in this manner, but it was effective.

He was done quickly, before they were summoned, and Nynaeve moved around her new quarters restlessly. She didn't like waiting idly but she could not think of what to do. She'd taken a few items from her pack, her brush and comb, but had put them back when she realized she didn't even have a dresser yet on which to put them. Tomorrow she would have to go into town to make some purchases, or see what the servants could dig up for her. It seemed a crazy thing to think about under the circumstances, but she needed some items, a chest for their clothes, a dresser with a mirror and a wash bowl. She'd been on the road so long it felt strange to realize she now needed to furnish a room of her own, might be here for a long time. Even those sisters who spent a lot of their time away from the Tower generally kept a room here, or would that change when their numbers grew? There might not be so much room in the future, with over a thousand novices in the Tower and more coming in each day.

Well, likely as not she would remain here now. It wasn't feasible to return to the Two Rivers now she was Aes Sedai, and the one other possible future she had seen for herself -literally seen, inside the arches during her Accepted test- was off now, too.

Of course the entire future depended first on the outcome of the Last Battle, but she felt fairly confident of that. More so, to be honest, than she had before. Rand had done great things, such as the cleansing of Saidin, but he'd also had near misses. And she knew the Shadow had great numbers of Trollocs and Myrddraal. To strike at Shadar Logoth was one thing, to strike in the heart of the Blight, even with a number of armies supporting him, was quite another. Now, with several of Rand's supposed allies on their side, odds would definitely be in their favor.

But she was getting ahead of things. First things first, she had always said. Concentrate on the matter at hand so she would make no mistakes.

Only a little later there came a knock on her door. Nynaeve opened it and saw Saerin there.

"The Amyrlin has requested to see you again," the Sitter said. "You and Lan."

Of course she would have to give an innocent reason here in the open. Nynaeve nodded and gestured to Lan, who followed without protest. She had kept the compulsion in place, a compulsion like this could be read but not just in passing.

Saerin said little as they made their way through the halls, and they walked briskly. Mesaana had seemed reasonable enough but Nynaeve still felt it would be unwise to keep her waiting.

Sheriam was in her anteroom and wove them on immediately.

"Go right on in," she said.

Nynaeve didn't know what to think of Sheriam. She'd been nice enough, showing genuine concern earlier, and yet she had joined the Black of her own accord, was Head of the Black now. Clearly a lot she thought she'd known about the Black Ajah was wrong, she had thought they were all like Liandrin and Chesmal.

But even Liandrin's group had some sisters who were nice enough on the surface, like Marillin who went out of her way to rescue sick and injured animals. She Healed strays and she had been known by the Tar Valon children to help all their pets, when other sisters would tell them to scram with such trivialities. When Nynaeve had hunted the woman she had thought it was just pretense, nothing but a clever cover, but now she realized Marillin's kindness towards animals and their young owners had been genuine enough. Something she should have realized before; if it were only a cover, the Black sister wouldn't have kept it up after they'd left the Tower and she was exposed as Black Ajah. Marillin had continued to Heal strays and pets even when it was a risk rather than a cover.

Saerin opened the door to Egwene's study and went in, Nynaeve following. Egwene herself wasn't even there, but a small group had gathered around her desk. Mesaana, Atuan, Karale and Marris, and a Myrddaal in full, dark armour. A Myrddraal, here in the Tower!

Nynaeve immediately strengthened the compulsion, but it took some effort. She frowned at the strain even as she knelt for Mesaana. Lan made a cordial bow and nodded to the Myrddraal, too little for the Chosen but Nynaeve didn't know how to make him kneel while what he saw was the Amyrlin and Lord Bryne.

Lan put the map on the desk.

"The camp," he said.

Mesaana watched him, then put her hands on him and read the compulsion. She gave Nynaeve an appraising look.

"Clever. Rise," she said.

"Thank you, High Mistress." Nynaeve bowed deep before she got up. Such a level of obedience did not come naturally to her, but she realized quite well the necessity.

The Chosen looked at the sketch, the Myrddraal next to her, but it was clear Mesaana intended to lead the attack herself. She pointed to some features marked on the paper, asked Lan for details. Soon she motioned Nynaeve over to her.

"Show me the camp. A small Eye at a height of thirty feet will tell me where to Travel while being all but unnoticeable from the ground."

"An Eye?" Nynaeve had never heard that before.

A flash of irritation crossed Mesaana's features, but disappeared just as quick. Then she explained, and after the Chosen had cautioned everyone to silence, Nynaeve opened the tiny gateway high over the camp.

Without a sound, Mesaana looked down on the group of men, wagons and tents, then the Myrddraal did the same. Then still without a word, Mesaana gestured for Nynaeve to close it and she let the Eye wink out. Gladly, because it took almost all her concentration to keep the compulsion on Lan. Making a Myrddraal appear like Lord Bryne while at the same time keeping him sharp of mind was quite a feat.

The strain must have shown on her face, for the Chosen looked at her intently.

"Tell Sheriam I will return soon, then get some rest. I will see you in the morning."

The order took Nynaeve by surprise, she had thought and feared she would have to take part in the actual assault. But she quickly recovered. Kneeling briefly she thanked Mesaana and left the Amyrlin's study, Lan closely behind her.

-0-

Less than an hour after Nynaeve and Lan had emerged from Egwene's study, after showing Mesaana where the camp was, Mesaana returned, together with Saerin. The Chosen was clearly satisfied as she walked by, but Saerin was pale, and in this case Sheriam was glad her duties as Keeper made it more sensible for her to remain in her anteroom.


	11. Threats from two worlds

**Threats from two worlds.**

The next morning came and no murder had been done for the second night in a row. But no assassin had been found either, and Sheriam didn't dare think that whoever it was would just pack up and leave because of the increased security measures. She warned everyone to keep all wards in place and scheduled patrols for the evening and night.

Nynaeve had much to tell, valuable information about the Dragon, the Aes Sedai with him, and the Asha'man. The news that Nynaeve had Healed Fager Neald, Damer and Jahar was astonishing, even Mesaana was clearly impressed. By her Healing as well as by her skill in Tel'aran'rhiod, although in that case she was less than pleased by what Nynaeve had done.

Nynaeve was shocked when she heard Siuan and Leane paid the price for her capture of Moghedien, and foolishly offered herself in their place. Of course Mesaana quickly told her to put that notion out of her head, and also cautioned her against any heroics. She would deal quickly with any insubordination, and Nynaeve was too valuable to hand to any of the other Chosen.

Mid afternoon Nesita reported the last of the Red had been taken, quite a feat and mostly her own doing. The other Ajahs were also coming along, but of course those all had sisters with Warders, and also had a few who were hard to catch alone, who had paired up in defense against the assassin with a fellow sister who was bonded, or were otherwise hard to pin down.

It was a busy but almost ordinary day and it seemed that way until rather late that evening. Sheriam had wrapped up her work for the night and was in her quarters brushing her hair when the call rod grew warm. She checked the color, Egwene.

Quickly she pinned the Well back in her hair, then hastened to Egwene's quarters. She hoped that was where Egwene was -the call rods could not yet show a location, as Mesaana said they would in some later version.

In this case, there was no need, Sheriam saw and heard the commotion as she came near Egwene's quarters. Several of the Tower guard were in the halls, Chubain rushed up even as she did, Seaine and Tesan, part of the evening patrol, were present and in the middle Egwene and Gawyn, who were arguing but fell silent as she arrived. Momentarily only.

"Sheriam, just yesterday you acknowledged a Warder could be of use against a physical threat," Gawyn addressed her.

"You are not my Warder yet," Egwene said.

Sheriam raised her hand. "Wait, first, what happened here?"

"Gawyn surprised the assassin in the hall. The man took off, then Gawyn tried to rush into my rooms and set of the trap I had on my door, a trigger which wrapped him in Air and held him. The killer got away," Egwene said, scowling.

"I nearly had him. And he could've gotten through, he got through the other wards," Gawyn pointed out.

"Not anything near as strong as the ones I had up. And now the killer has seen what the trap did and likely won't try again."

"Try again? You _want_ him to try again? Egwene, you can't use yourself as bait, you're too important for that," Gawyn argued.

"If you hadn't scared him off, he would have been caught like you were, now he is still on the lose."

Somehow Sheriam got the feeling they'd been through this already before she had arrived, were only repeating themselves.

"I know it is hard for those who cannot channel to rely on weaves they can not see nor feel, but a trap like this would likely have caught the assassin," Sheriam said.

Gawyn glared at her. He had hoped she would support him, had appealed to her, but now she did not, he turned back to Egwene.

"I know the One Power is strong, but it didn't help the four who were killed. Egwene, let me be your Warder. Let me protect you."

"I can't, Gawyn," Egwene said. "I'm the Amyrlin, the entire Tower guard protects me."

Gawyn balled his fists in frustration. "You are not invulnerable. They can not feel what happens to you, and they aren't always with you. I could be."

"No," Egwene told him. "Stick to the investigations, Gawyn. That will protect me and any other sisters. That is my final answer."

With a sigh, Gawyn turned and walked off. As he did, Chubain called to him. "Lord?" He followed Gawyn, who kept walking, and they were soon out of earshot.

Sheriam looked at the others who were gathered and still gathering, for as always, sisters and Warders came to see what was going on and in spite of the hour, some novices and Accepted were peeking around the nearest corner.

"Seaine, you and Tesin check if there's anyone who saw or heard the assassin as he fled, anything that may tell us in what direction he may have gone. Pick a few people to help you. Anyone else, unless you did see any sign of the killer fleeing, clear out. He will not be back here tonight." She turned to Egwene. "Mother, I suggest you get some rest."

The crowd reluctantly dispersed, and Egwene went back into her rooms. Sheriam too returned to her quarters.

-0-

The search turned up nothing, no one except Gawyn had seen or heard the assassin fleeing the scene. Two daggers had been found, ornate weapons inlaid with three red stones. The weapons fit with the scrap of fine silk found in Kateri's room, but no one recognized them, not even Mesaana, and they gave no clue to their owner although Chubain had shown one around among his men and the Warders. Gawyn had taken the other.

The reports were made by Saeine and Chubain. Gawyn did not check in and when Sheriam asked, she was informed he had left late last night for Caemlyn. Egwene was quite angry when she learned he had gone, but Sheriam thought it good riddance. She could not approve of the way the young man ran off whenever he felt like it, and if Egwene ever did bond him as her Warder he would need some lessons in discipline. But for the moment he was out of her hair. She was pretty sure he had no idea of what they were doing in the Tower, and now there was no more risk he would stumble onto anything in his nightly prowling of the halls. She forbade Egwene to send him a letter summoning him back.

Now so many of those in the Tower were turned, messages were sent out to some of the sisters outside. Myrelle's group was contacted and told to report in, as well as several sisters who were with various nobles and rulers elsewhere, only al'Thor's Aes Sedai were as of yet left alone.

Nynaeve had told how Myrelle's embassy was still camped outside the Black Tower, and seemingly in little close contact with them, and that made it easier to take her after all, the risk of compulsion on the Warders being noticed would be low. Sheriam took Myrelle and her four remaining Warders together with Egwene and Dawn, and Nisao with her single Warder was also easily taken. Theodrin and Faolain of course were no problem at all. While their reports about the Black Tower were not good, they had made no progress in getting closer to the Asha'man at all, Sheriam was glad to have these sisters secured.

Then, a few hours after Myrelle and her group were taken Tsutama came to see her.

"Did Myrelle or any of the others mention anything about the other Aes Sedai at the Black Tower?" she asked, after she had taken a seat.

Sheriam frowned. The Red sister sounded too casual. Passing in the hall, the question might have seemed no more than a concern about Toveine and the other Reds, but her coming here suggested there was more.

"I asked, they had not been in contact with any of the sisters held by the Asha'man," Sheriam replied, watching for Tsutama's reaction.

"Oh. No contact at all? Not with… any sisters from inside the Black Tower?" The way she paused was significant.

"No. It is not Toveine and hers you are asking about, is it? If there is anything I should know about, speak up," Sheriam ordered. She had no time for the hemming and hawing the other sister was doing.

Tsutama lost her casual attitude. She shifted uneasily in her seat, then had to start twice before she completed her confession. "I, ehm, the Red, uhm… There should be six more Red sisters at the Black Tower, sent to negotiate bonding the Asha'man. However they have been gone some time and no one has heard from them at all. I am… concerned about them."

"Who?" Sheriam asked, although she thought she knew at least part of the answer.

"Pevara, Javindhra, Jezrail, Desala, Melare and Tarna. Pevara led their group," Tsutama said.

Well, that solved the mystery of the missing Sitters. It did not explain why Tsutama had withheld this information. The Red might have been reluctant to confess their actions to Egwene, but Tsutama had been taken two days ago.

"You should have told me before," Sheriam berated her. "There will be no more such individual actions from you or your Ajah. You do not, by any chance, know where Duhara has gone?" she asked as an afterthought.

Tsutama shook her head. "No, no one else was sent to the Black Tower, or elsewhere, by me."

Again she said 'me', just like earlier she had started with 'I' before she switched to 'the Red'. Sheriam now knew she was Highest of the Red, the only one to have such authority within the Ajah. And surprisingly inexperienced at it, to let it slip so easily.

Sheriam nodded.

"I will see what I can find out," she said. "I will let you know."

She did not repeat her orders about withholding information or independent action, she did not need to. She was pretty sure Tsutama would obey. The Red really was extremely unsettled, she would have expected better from an Aes Sedai, especially an ex-Sitter.

She sent Tsutama on her way and addressed the topic of the sisters in and beside the Black Tower when Mesaana came by that evening.

While Sheriam suggested they should press the promised bonding of the Asha'man, Mesaana was reluctant to do so. She explained the Black Tower was held by Demandred, and the two of them had mutually agreed not to attack or move onto one another's territory for the time being. The force led by Toveine had been entirely Elaida's plan. But it was clear the number of sisters held by the Asha'man bothered the Chosen. Sheriam noticed from the way Mesaana paused occasionally and tapped her lip in thought that she would like to get these back, and perhaps get a foothold in with the Asha'man as well, but she did not have a solid plan as of yet.

"Tomorrow we will pay a visit to Demandred," Mesaana decided.

"Yes, High Mistress," Sheriam nodded. She felt apprehensive, anyone in their right mind would, but she would not show it. Never hesitate.

-0-

The vague feeling of apprehension remained with her throughout supper. She was not sure if it was the prospect of visiting the Black Tower and another one of the Chosen, or something else. The day had seemed to go well enough, but no day could be entirely ordinary this close to the Last Battle, and she remembered the previous night when she had allowed herself to think it was almost an ordinary day until the assassin had made the attempt on Egwene. She remained vigilant, and allowed Arinvar to accompany her to supper and back to her anteroom for the late evening's work. He had pointed out that if the assassin were scared off from Egwene's apartments, she might be the next likely target, and apart from the obvious fact that she did have him as a Warder, he might be right. She did not intend to give the killer that opportunity.

Just as she was about to leave for the night, Saerin and Yukiri came rushing in.

"Sheriam, we can't Travel. Kwamesa caught Zemaille alone, finally, and she has her shielded, but her gateway just unravels, she can't take her anywhere. And Nyein has been staying very close to Zemaille, she or her Warder may well check on her later."

Sheriam embraced the Source, tried to Travel and felt what Saerin meant.

"Yes, I tried as well. It's not her, Travelling really doesn't work," Saerin said. "Other weaves are working fine, it is only the gateways that are failing."

Sheriam channeled into the call rod, alerting Mesaana. And then Egwene, too, she wanted her strength and her official authority over the Tower Guard if it came to a battle.

-0-

Mesaana woke with a start. She instantly knew it had been the call rod that had woken her, warm against her skin. She jumped up, checked the color of the rod and knew it had been Sheriam who had signaled her. She grabbed her dress, pulled it on -at least impersonating a Brown she could wear sensible clothes without rows and rows of tiny buttons- and channeled the Eye.

The moment her weaves unraveled, she knew what was up. Someone, somehow, had brought a Dreamspike to the Tower! On a hunch, she tried three keys she remembered off-hand, but of course nothing happened. It would have been extreme coincidence if it had been one of hers, they had been common enough in her own Age.

Using the door, she walked quickly out of her room, through the Brown's quarters and to the Amyrlin's study. She found Sheriam, Egwene, Saerin and Yukiri there, looking rather harried.

"High Mistress," Sheriam curtsied deeply, the others knelt. "There is a problem with Traveling, as I'm sure you have noticed. Several sisters who tried to take another to turn were caught unaware, they have their target bound and shielded but can not go anywhere."

"Someone dropped a Dreamspike on us," Mesaana said. "It's a ter'angreal that prevents Travel unless you know the key, know what weaves to channel to keep the flows from unraveling. I do not know the key to this one. It's a spike, made of thin, metal wires twisted together, about two handspans long, with a knob on one end. It will be in the exact middle of the area where no Travel is possible. Saerin, Yukiri, get soms sisters, pair off -it is likely the person who dropped the Dreamspike on us is not a friend- and find it."

Saerin and Yukiri nodded, knelt, then sped off.

Mesaana glanced at Sheriam and Egwene. "Reinforce all wards. Whoever put the thing here can still Travel in if they wish, we can't prevent that but at least I want to know if it happens. Stay together and be careful."

Sheriam nodded. Mesaana could feel she drew Saidar through her angreal, a sensible precaution. Egwene knelt before she rose and hurried off. The girl had manners, perhaps one day she could be allowed to rule a territory of her own. Not any time soon of course, but when few people remembered her brief reign as Amyrlin.

She wondered who could have placed the Dreamspike. Demandred had one, but he wouldn't use the one that protected the Black Tower, that would be folly. It was inconvenient, but it could be found and moved as long as one had free access to the area held under its influence. And when she found it, she certainly wasn't going to give it back! Neither did she think it would be Moghedien, the woman had wanted Egwene and Nynaeve but she'd known she made out well with Siuan and Leane. And in providing the location for the turnings, she was involved in the plan too. Cyndane hated her but there was no way she'd have the resources. Moridin had no reason to lock her down, he could just order her to stop. It had to be Graendal. She didn't understand why, surely the woman could make better use of it if she had such a treasure. She suspected Graendal to be the one behind the assassinations though, Graendal liked using various kinds of assassins.

Saerin returned quickly together with a Black sister, knelt in front of her. "We can't find it, Great Mistress. And we don't know how to locate the exact center of its reach."

In a flash of irritation, Mesaana struck out with lashes of Air. Saerin yelped, startled.

"I'm sorry, Great Mistress," she said quickly.

Mesaana released the weaves. "I will look for it myself. If Sheriam returns before I am back, tell her I am on the roof." She grabbed the sa'angreal, which they still kept here, and left the anteroom.

She walked through the halls of the White Tower briskly. She had to control her anger. Waking up suddenly when she hadn't had near enough sleep lately, and then discovering one of the other Chosen was moving on her position, perhaps preparing who-knows-what else, was enough reason to anger her, but she had to remain calm. When she was angry she made mistakes, like forgetting that even though some of these Aes Sedai might have more potential than she had once credited them with, they were still untrained children in many ways. Of course they wouldn't know how to located the center of a Dreamspike dome. It was her fault, not Saerin's, that she hadn't thought of either pinpointing the center herself or instructing them how to. Not that she'd apologize of course, she wouldn't show that much weakness. But she admitted it to herself, and admonished herself to be more careful. Dealing with one of the other Chosen, she couldn't afford to let her temper rule her!

She emerged on the roof top, a wide, flat roof towering over Tar Valon. The city lay far below her, mostly dark now but the white buildings vaguely visible in what little lights there were. With regret, she recalled the cities of her own time, the city center lit up late into the night, moving lights of the sho-wings and other vehicles forming long, wide bands and even the residential areas still full of activity at this hour. She wasn't as dependant on luxury as Graendal was, but she had enjoyed the basic comforts her Age had provided, comforts this era lacked.

Overlooking the city, she reached out with a probing weave. Smaller even than the Eye, she tried a tiny hole a little out from the Tower's edge. Then she reached further, further. It was difficult to channel at a great distance, but she didn't have to maintain the weave or create anything large, she only had to feel whether the weave unraveled.

It was a long way out, past the city walls, that her weave held. She cast a line, measuring the distance, and started her probing weaves in the opposite direction. She found the edge far quicker because she guessed correctly the center was here at the Tower.

She cast out to her left and right, then checked the first place again to fine-tune her calibration. And stopped -the edge of the dome had moved. The center was no longer directly over the Tower, it was now in the city before her.

She ran to the edge of the roof, looked down to see confirmed what she already knew. Right below her was no gate from the Tower to the city itself, the nearest gate was well off to the side, and closed at this time of the night. Of course whoever held it could Travel, but that would have set off the wards, Sheriam and Egwene would have reinforced them by now. No, she thought she now knew where to look for the ter'angreal.

She rushed back inside, found Sheriam and Egwene had returned to Sheriam's anteroom.

"It is in Tel'aran'rhiod," she said. "Egwene, meet me here. Sheriam, tell Nynaeve to come as well. You stay in the real world, watch the wards and be ready if anything happens."

After only a moment's hesitation, she handed Sheriam Vora's sa'angreal. Channeling wasn't the most powerful way to work in Tel'aran'rhiod, and if an attack came Sheriam would need it more.

She walked through the halls, annoyed at how long it took to get back to the Brown's part of the Tower. She walked the halls often enough, but never when she was in a hurry.

Finally back in her rooms, she laid down and slept immediately. She did not need a sleepweaver, never that! She appeared in Sheriam's anteroom, was pleased to see Egwene already there. Nynaeve arrived only a little later, the girl was not a natural but she was strong, Mesaana was impressed with the way the girl had bested Moghedien, although you'd never hear her admit that aloud.

Quickly she described the situation and the Dreamspike to Nynaeve. She also instructed them not to channel but rather use Tel'aran'rhiod's own abilities to do whatever they needed, since any channeling could be felt, while the use of Tel'aran'rhiod's own power could not.

Then she led the way to the place the Dreamspike had been last. At least the dome was clearly visible here in Tel'aran'rhiod, which made it easier to find its center.

Even at that moment, the dome shook and moved. Mesaana frowned, it was moving back toward the Tower again. And then she saw it, the black rift of a nightmare.

She hesitated. Her first thought was to dispel it, but a nightmare had advantages too. Graendal would expect her to come alone, or at most with some entirely untrained underlings. Here they could not hide, but in a nightmare, there would be people. She made her decision.

"Disguise yourself as townsfolk, and stay back a little," she instructed. "And whatever you do, don't let yourself get drawn in."

They wouldn't, if she thought they would she wouldn't take them along. But some warnings had to be given. At their nod, she turned and walked into the rift.

Immediately the silence and emptiness of Tel'aran'rhiod was replaced by chaos. Screams rang out, several people ran past in a panic, fires raged all around, hot enough to melt and warp the buildings. In the distance, Dragonmount was erupting, sending clouds of steam, fire and molten rock into the sky.

Even in all the chaos, she easily recognized the servant's gate to the Tower. She entered, and with a quick glance upwards, discovered the dome's center over an alley between some outbuildings and the Tower itself.

Chaos was even greater here, lava boiled in the windows of the buildings, and a large rift had opened up, sending up waves of heat. But the chaos was part of the nightmare, and while she had usually avoided nightmares, Mesaana was practiced enough to avoid getting drawn in or even overtly distracted by what happened around her.

She started as she spotted the one person who stood out, leaning with one hand against the wall of the Tower, and definitely not part of the nightmare. The man with two souls? Again she hesitated. Graendal she could fight, but he was part of Tel'aran'rhiod, stronger here than even Moghedien or Lanfear. But regardless of his strength in the World of Dreams, he was supposed to be a servant of the Chosen, and suddenly she doubted if it was an attack from Graendal after all. She wouldn't send one who was an underling to all of them. What was he doing here, with the Dreamspike? She could spot the head of it sticking out of a pouch he had tied to his belt.

It had only been seconds that she stood there, but he noticed her. The only one standing quietly between the rifts of fire, among the flying sparks that fell off the burning roofs, she had not tried to hide herself, only Egwene and Nynaeve were disguised. As he looked up, she challenged him.

"What are you doing here, who sent you and why did you bring_ that_?" she demanded. She put all her authority in her voice.

Isam was hardly impressed. He looked at her calmly, coldly, and made not even the slightest gesture of a bow or nod. But he did answer her.

"You are not the target of this Dreamspike. It was brought here by another," he informed her calmly. At those last words, his gaze drifted past her, to something behind her.

In the same instant, she thought herself somewhere else, to the opposite side of the street. It wasn't quick enough, she felt a sharp pain stab in her side, and she almost doubled over. She thought it gone, straightened. It wouldn't hold, one couldn't Heal oneself like this, but it would work for a little while. Alarm coursed through her as she looked back at the place she had come from, saw the young man there, knew who he was even though he too was disguised as a townsman.

"Aybara," she hissed between her teeth.

She heard a gasp off to her left -one of the girls, had they realized who he was before she'd named him? Probably not, training or no training, they wouldn't know how to recognize a Wolfbrother. At least they gave no further sound.

"Stay out of this," Isam said, his concentration now on Aybara.

Mesaana narrowed her eyes. She knew now Isam spoke truth when he said she wasn't the intended target of the Dreamspike or an attack from one of the other Chosen, but she was very well aware he had not warned her, was in fact certain the eye movement that had alerted her had been entirely involuntary. Anger coursed through her again, but she suppressed it.

She took a moment to observe. Aybara's attention was also on Isam again, he had recognized her, at least recognized her as an enemy even if he might not know exactly who she was, but he knew that Isam was more dangerous here. He was wounded, hiding it like she was, but he was struggling. Still he had to be very strong to last any time at all against Isam. And he had lasted a while; long enough to bring the Dreamspike here, for the alarm to be raised, the search to start. Time wasn't the same here in Tel'aran'rhiod as in the waking world, but still the fight must have been going on for some time.

She should leave, signal for Egwene and Nynaeve to go, and let Isam deal with Aybara. The boy should not last much longer. Then she'd find out how this all had started and preferably, where to lay the blame. Perhaps she could lay claim on the Dreamspike as compensation for the infraction.

Yes, that was what she should do. She almost gave the order to the girls, when she started. Isam had slipped! One moment he had still been leaning against the wall, but somehow, Aybara had made him falter and he was now hanging on the edge of the chasm, dangling above the boiling lava, together with several people who were only part of the nightmare.

"Dispel it!" Mesaana ordered sharply. At the same moment she concentrated hard, _It is not real_!

Moments later, the fires, the chasm, the screaming, all disappeared. They were in a small hallway, with a tiled floor, mostly bare walls and just a few benches lining them. Isam was on the ground, Aybara standing, although he seemed to have trouble keeping his balance. Egwene and Nynaeve stood against the wall to the right, still in their townspeople disguise. She gestured to them to stay back and hopefully, keep from being identified as well. If Perrin discovered who they were, that the two of them listened to her command, they would have to kill him before he could wake.

She herself wore an Aes Sedai's dress, and she held the tall blonde disguise she used when she didn't want to be either Accepted or novice nor show herself as Danelle, but she knew she was faltering. The knife wound was deep and it took almost all her effort to think it gone. A moment would be enough for Nynaeve to Heal it, but Aybara would strike quicker than that if he had any idea how weak she was. She gritted her teeth, held on.

Isam got to his feet, snarled and threw her a nasty look. "I said stay out of it."

"Later," she snapped. Darkness within, the man was stupid! She hadn't expected gratitude for saving him from the chasm, quite possibly he would've been able to work his way out -but it was also a possibility he wouldn't have. And while she wouldn't have shed a tear over him, any more than he would have if Aybara's knife had struck just a little deeper, the Dreamspike would've burned with him. It was not easy to destroy, but immersing it in boiling lava would do it.

Aybara struck at Isam. Again using a knife, he thought himself forward quicker than a man could move in the real world and struck out, and Isam had to move himself backward a few feet. Aybara was quick, and Isam left him too many openings. Distracted by her arrival? Or tiring after what obviously had been a long fight already? Either way she couldn't risk leaving them, not now she had seen how closely they were matched.

She thought the street under Aybara gone, and he stumbled as he fell a span before he repaired the hole and fell to his knees. Men were so obvious in using weapons, while there were so many other ways to attack here. But he learned quickly, too quickly, as she saw from the corner of her eye how one of the benches came shooting at her, trying to sweep her off her feet.

She stopped it and channeled lightning. It melted away in mid-air. Isam held a bow now, but that of course was folly. For someone as experienced with Tel'aran'rhiod as him, he did hold on to typical male ideas of weaponry. She prepared another weave, perhaps either one could hit while the other one distracted Aybara. A pity Isam was impossible to work with, would not willingly coordinate an attack, but even unwillingly they were two against one.

And then suddenly, weaves of Spirit and Aybara disappeared from the Dream. She glanced toward the girls.

Nynaeve knelt. "Forgive me, High Mistress. I shouldn't have, but it didn't seem to go too well."

Mesaana looked at her, took a deep breath. She had motioned to them to stay out of it and told them not to channel, but she'd also taken them along as back-up, and it was true she couldn't have held out much longer. Even now the wound in her side was throbbing. And compulsion to wake had been a creative move, one Aybara clearly hadn't expected and thus hadn't countered.

"Later," she snapped again. She would punish the girl for ignoring her command, even if it had worked, but not right now. She turned to Isam.

"And now, the Dreamspike."

"Graendal will want it back," he said.

So it had been Graendal who was behind this after all, even if she hadn't been the intended target.

"You brought it here, or allowed Aybara to do so, it is mine now."

"It would've been gone already if you hadn't interfered, and Aybara dead as was the plan," Isam argued. Argued, with her! The obstinate fool!

"Oh yes, because you were doing so well before I showed up. He might have been wounded, he was not dead yet, and a nightmare is unpredictable at best. And I'm sure it was exactly according to your plan that Aybara led you on a chase all the way here in the first place." Sarcasm dripped off her voice. "It's your failure, and you explain to Graendal why you lost the Dreamspike. Give it to me. Now."

She held out her hand and reluctantly, quite reluctantly, he took the pouch from his belt and handed it to her. The same second, he was gone.

There was no way to know if he was really gone, or if he had only moved a little and was still watching her, ready to strike if she showed weakness. But she couldn't, couldn't hold out longer. She clutched her side, doubled over, breathing hard as she sank down on the bench Aybara had swiped at her and which had ended up conveniently nearby.

Nynaeve came forward, walking two steps and then appearing beside her. The girl was learning. Then the cold tingle of Healing flooded through her, and Mesaana breathed more easily.

"Take the Dreamspike far enough into the country so the dome no longer stops Travel to and from the Tower," she instructed the girls as she handed the pouch to Egwene. "Ward it heavily. I will retrieve it to our world later."

She was just too tired to instruct the girls how to do that without knowing the key. Isam could find it without any trouble of course, but since he had given it up to her, she didn't think he would. He would have to know she'd be after him in a flash if it were gone. Would Graendal dare try? The woman had to know her plan, whatever it had been, had failed, and she would be held accountable for anything that failure had brought about. She wouldn't be as stupid as to try to retrieve the Dreamspike and make things even worse.

And even if she did, Mesaana realized she couldn't do anything about it, not now. She could hardly keep herself from swaying.

"After moving the Dreamspike, return to the Tower. Tell Sheriam what happened here. Only her. No one else needs to know I was injured," Mesaana said. "I do not think Aybara recognized either of you, but be prepared to receive him or a messenger with a warning that I am in Tar Valon. Sheriam will have to decide what to do depending on who shows up."

Egwene and Nynaeve nodded, acknowledging her orders.

"Go," she said, and it came out barely audible.

"I should check on you in the Tower," Nynaeve said.

"No." That came out more forcefully again. No one, not even Sheriam, knew her disguise in the White Tower. Sheriam she thought she could trust, but none other. And she would be fine with rest.

With a deep curtsy, the two girls disappeared, the dome shifting with them. Mesaana allowed herself to return to her body, and immediately slipped into a normal sleep.

-0-

Sheriam waited in her anteroom with Saerin. Arinvar was just outside, he had felt her concern and was now guarding the door. For all the good that would do, the one who used a Dreamspike would likely be someone who could channel. Miyasi was with him, but Sheriam felt better when Yukiri returned with Dawn, and they also took up post outside.

Waiting always seemed to take long, but Sheriam knew well enough this was a distorted feeling, and it had not in truth been very long at all when she felt, then saw, the Eye wink and the gateway open. But the flash of relief at the fact that Travelling obviously worked again was brief when she looked at the gateway and saw the scene on the other side.

"Sheriam, please help, it's Gawyn!" Egwene was sitting on the floor next to the unmoving body of the young man, the glow of Saidar around her and blood staining her dress. Blood staining everything, really. Just at a glance Sheriam saw four more bodies, three in black and one in the white of the Tower guard. Three in black? Darkness within, they'd never even considered the possibility they were dealing with more than one assassin.

"Saerin, get the Yellow. Dagdara, and Nynaeve if she is awake," Sheriam ordered.

Nynaeve was the strongest of them but Dagdara still had more experience. She stepped through into Egwene's room and knelt down.

Gawyn was breathing, but barely. He had a deep wound in his side, and more cuts in his leg and shoulder. Egwene had tied off the gateway and now channeled Healing weaves, but the wounds were too deep for her skill, and Sheriam knew neither Egwene's nor her own limited talent at Healing would be near enough for this. Not even with the cup ter'angreal, but she took it out of her pouch anyhow and handed it to Egwene. It might just keep him alive long enough for Dagdara and Nynaeve to get here.

It was only moments later the two Healers entered. First Nynaeve, still in her shift, then Dagdara, her dress hastily done up with half the buttons lose. Sheriam stepped back to give the two sisters room, but even as she did and Nynaeve, who had been the first into the room, laid her hands on him, she saw Gawyn's body go limp. Egwene gasped and Nynaeve cursed, but Dagdara knelt down and channeled.

"He's dead. I felt him die," Nynaeve said, her voice catching as she looked at Egwene.

"We may still save him. Help me out here," Dagdara said, all the while concentrating on her weaves.

"You can heal _death_?" Nynaeve asked, incredulously.

"His heart has stopped but there is no permanent damage, not this soon. Quick, Nynaeve, use your Healing on that large wound in his side," Dagdara instructed. She spotted the cup Egwene held, took it and handed it to Nynaeve.

Nynaeve looked baffled but she channeled and the wound started to close. When it was fully closed, only moments later, Dagdara leaned forward.

"Now let go of him," she told Nynaeve and Egwene.

Both did so, Egwene with a look of anguish on her face, but she did not speak nor protest in any way. As Dagdara reached out and put her hands on Gawyn's chest, Egwene's expression showed a little hope.

Dagdara channeled Earth, Water and Spirit in narrow flows, pulsing regular as a heartbeat. They were strong, shocking pulses and Dagdara flinched at each one, but after a few of them Gawyn gasped as he started breathing again.

"You can start or stop the heart by channeling exactly there," Dagdara explained. "Block the pulse that makes it contract and it will stop, send it a pulse and it will start again. Usually. And only if the death is very recent."

She looked at Nynaeve. "Don't ever use it on someone whose heart has stopped more than a few minutes before, only in extreme cold you may have a little longer. If you use it on someone who's been dead too long, well, most often it just won't work and that is if you're lucky. Sometimes the heart can start but the mind is gone beyond what can be Healed, and the person is nothing more than a mindless shell for the rest of his life. That's also why you should not use it or speak of this in front of any not of the Black -officially, the risk is considered too great and the weave is strictly forbidden."

She Delved Gawyn. "He is still very weak, he has lost much blood. Perhaps too much."

Nynaeve also Delved, then bit her lip as she looked at the carpet. Her shift was soaking up the blood, as was Dagdara's yellow dress.

"I'm surprised he has any blood left," she said.

Gawyn's breathing was shallow and he was very pale, had hardly regained any color when Dagdara had restarted his heart.

"There is no way to replenish the blood, is there?" Egwene asked. She tried to sound hopeful but the tremor in her voice said she suspected what the answer would be.

"No," Dagdara replied. "The only thing we can do is try to keep him alive long enough for his body to make the blood he needs."

Gawyn's breathing grew more irregular and Nynaeve channeled. The breathing became more even again but remained very shallow. Nynaeve sat back.

"There is one way to give him strength," she said. She looked at Egwene, then at Sheriam.

"Will it be enough?" Sheriam asked. She had watched silently, not shocked by Dagdara's Healing. She had known of the weaves, even if she had never seen them used before. As far as she was concerned, the ban on the weave was another of many examples of the over-cautious, restrictive rules the Aes Sedai had set for themselves.

"He is weak but hanging on this long, with the bond he should live," Dagdara stated.

Nynaeve nodded agreement.

Egwene looked at Sheriam, pleading. "Please, let me save him."

Sheriam considered. She knew Egwene cared deeply for Gawyn but she could not decide by that alone. How big was the risk? Egwene could control him through the bond, at worst he would have to be sent off, and he had been gone from the Tower at other times. A nuisance, no more. If he died, that might raise questions too, from his sister Elayne at the very least. And they owed him, for somehow, these three assassins had gotten past all of Egwene's wards. She nodded.

"Go ahead."

Egwene channeled, the flows of Spirit settling into Gawyn. As soon as she was done, his breathing grew stronger and more even, and a bit of color returned to his skin. Egwene sighed in relief, and only now tears started to leak down her face. Dagdara and Nynaeve both Delved him, but it was not really necessary. They all knew he would live.

Sheriam looked around at the carnage around them. Apart from the dead -two were women, Sheriam noticed with a frown- several things were knocked to the floor. The bed curtains were torn down, the lamp had been knocked over and spilled its oil. And blood was everywhere.

"This will take some time to clean up," she said. "The royal apartments in the guest quarters will do for tonight."

She turned towards the others who had followed Dagdara and Nynaeve and had watched them as they worked on Gawyn. "Dawn, Miyasi, see Egwene and Gawyn installed in the guest quarters and keep a watch on the door for the rest of the night. Yukiri, check on Kwamesa and then go back on patrol. Saerin, get Chubain and the investigating sisters in here."

"Are you sure a guard is necessary?" Miyasi asked, glancing at the three black-clad bodies. "There can't be more than three."

It was unlikely, certainly Egwene had been their main target and they had all come here for the attempt on the Amyrlin. But she hadn't thought it possible for three assassins to hide in the Tower, if they had been able to do that, or had a way in and out, then perhaps there could be more.

"I sure hope not," she said, "But I'm not taking any chances. We've had enough surprises for one night."

"We must tell you what happened with the Dreamspike," Egwene said. She still sat on the floor with Gawyn. "In private?"

"I will do that," Nynaeve said. "There is no need for both of us to make the report."

Sheriam nodded. "In my anteroom. Everyone else get to work. Get the servants to clean up after Chubain and the residue-readers are done."

She stepped through Egwene's gateway with Nynaeve. Arinvar, who had hovered in the back with Dawn's Warders, followed her and she told him to wait outside, then Egwene untied the gateway and let it close. Sheriam wove a ward as she sat down at her desk, then listened as Nynaeve told her what had happened in Tel'aran'rhiod.

"You know Perrin Aybara," she said when Nynaeve had finished. "Will he come himself, or send a messenger?"

Nynaeve shook her head. "I don't know. If the Dreamspike was part of a larger attack on his army, well, he won't leave his men alone. And he was wounded, he will be weakened after Healing. He may send Grady or Neald. If so, I can help, they will trust me after I Healed their Madness. But Grady holds a bond, not an Aes Sedai but his wife. I don't think she will raise an alarm, she must be used to feeling him in danger all the time, like last night and he has been in battles before. But I don't know all that much about the situation in the Black Tower. And Annoura, Seonid and Masuri are the Aes Sedai with him, of course."

Sheriam nodded. "One of them might come also, Seonid or Masuri more likely than Annoura, she is still Berelain's advisor first, even if the Mayener follows Aybara now. What about the Wise One who can Travel?"

"Not likely," Nynaeve said. "Not even with Egwene on the Amyrlin Seat. If one of the Wise Ones send warning, they will try to do so through the Dream rather than in person, and after our run-in with Slayer, Egwene will shield her dreams heavily."

Sheriam nodded again. "Of course. If Neald or Grady comes I will have you called, but no hurry. Remember we aren't supposed to know of any emergency, and while an embassy from Aybara will be received cordially, he or she can and will be made to wait for a short while."

Nynaeve looked surprised, she hadn't thought of that. Sheriam reminded herself while the young woman was strong and had connections all over, like Egwene, she had less experience in subterfuge.  
"Then get some rest. Dismissed," Sheriam told her.

-0-

A short while later Nisain and Akkarin came in with their report. The mystery of how the assassins had come past the wards was solved by the discovery of one of the Tower maids who had been trapped in the hall just outside Egwene's door, sent to her room as a decoy. The body of another guardsman had been found there, too.

What puzzled Sheriam was that the assassins could not have known Egwene was in Tel'aran'rhiod and would not be awakened by the wards, but between the three of them they would have been in the advantage regardless whether Egwene had come out to see who had triggered the trap, like she had the previous night when Gawyn had set it off, or if she had remained inside and they'd have to come to her.

Akkarin showed her the strange rings the three had worn, clearly ter'angreal, but what they did she did not know. Akkarin did not dare wear them, shuddered even as she touched them. She would show them to the other Brown and to those who had worked on replicating ter'angreal the next day.

However they had done it, it was a bold move, especially after their failed attempt the evening before. The more she thought about it, the less she liked it, and Sheriam increased patrols of Warders, guardsmen and sisters. Then she went to her quarters to get what sleep she could.

-0-

Which was very little, because it was still dark when she felt the call rod and saw it was Egwene who had called her.

She traveled directly to the Royal guest quarters, where Gawyn had woken. He was telling Egwene what he had learned about the assassins, and in spite of being very weak, he was arguing about the fact that Egwene had apparently ordered him to wait with his tale until she arrived.

Giving her a dark frown, he did not even return her greeting but quickly and urgently told them what he had learned in Caemlyn. So the assassins had been Seanchan! Hearing what he had learned from the Seanchan sul'dam, Sheriam cursed herself for being so negligent. She had thought briefly to interrogate the damane and sul'dam captured in the raid, to learn their weaves and their plans, but in the rush of the turnings it had been forgotten. And that while the Seanchan had captured some sisters who could Travel! Careless, that's what it was, and the fact that she had been extremely busy was no excuse.

At least Gawyn finally solved the question of how three assassins could have walked through the Tower unnoticed. He described the effect of the ter'angreal rings, the way the shadow the assassin was in seemed to resist being looked at, seemed deeper than it should be. Sheriam was very glad Akkarin had been careful and had not tried wearing one of those cursed things.

As soon as Gawyn finished his report, Sheriam increased the patrols, sending sisters, Warders and soldiers all through the Tower to check it for suspicious shadows everywhere. And it paid off. Only an hour later, Saerin and Chubain reported they had found a fourth assassin. A woman also, she had been discovered by two of Chubain's soldiers and had killed one, wounded the other, before she was taken by Elin and Jennet. Captured, not killed. Elin and Jennet were both turned, and perhaps not as quick to use deadly force as a Black sister would have been.

But it was fortunate too, because a quick question and a weave of compulsion, and the woman told them where the last member of their group was. Five! Five where they had expected one.

The last was a man, who was killed by Irna when they found him, without getting the chance to kill or injure anyone else. He had tried to attack, Irna said. Sheriam didn't know whether that was true or said only for the sake of the guardsmen present, who still believed an Aes Sedai could not kill unless her life was directly in danger, but honestly she did not care. They had the woman prisoner to interrogate in the morning, Irna had at least a little revenge for Kateri, and the man would have been executed regardless after what he'd done.

Sheriam had the remaining Bloodknife stripped of all items, searched and thrown into one of the cells. The assassin heavily guarded, she told the patrols to stand down.

It was too late to go back to sleep, and all she did was wash up and change into a fresh dress before getting an early breakfast. Then she ordered Dawn and Saerin to bring the last surviving Bloodknife and the most senior of the sul'dam to Egwene's study. Egwene herself was not there, she still remained in the guest quarters with Gawyn, who would need more rest today.

She sat down in Egwene's seat, the two Seanchan women standing in front of the desk, the two sisters and Dawn's Warders beside them. Both were securely held by the Power, arms tight against their body, their legs tied with just enough room so they could shuffle, and they were gagged. More guards were outside, but Sheriam wanted to interrogate these two without Chubain or anyone who was not a Black or turned present. She didn't plan to stick too closely to Tower law.

The sul'dam tried to look contemptuous and defiant, but was clearly unnerved. The Bloodknife woman was more confident, and glared at them with hatred in her eyes.

"It is no use, I will not tell you anything," the Bloodknife hissed as soon as her gag was removed. "I will die first."

Sheriam re-wove the compulsion without even bothering to reply. Strong weaves, she did not care what it did to the woman's mind. The Seanchan had killed four Aes Sedai, not to mention the three guardsmen. After they were sure she had told everything they needed to know, the Bloodknife would be executed.

"Who sent you, and what are their plans?" she asked.

"The Empress sent me, Aes Sedai," the woman answered promptly. "She wanted to take as many Marath'damane as possible in the raid, of course, but she charged me and the other four Bloodknives with killing the Amyrlin, as well as any others we could get at, afterwards. I think she expected to take more captive, but we tried to follow her orders regardless. Marath'damane are not allowed to remain free."

The sul'dam's eyes bulged as the Bloodknife spoke so readily, so suddenly after her defiance.

"What did you do to her?" she stuttered.

She did not seem to recognize the weave, and the Bloodknife, so highly trained in combat according to Gawyn, put not even a trace of resistance up against it, did the Seanchan not know it?

Sheriam wove similar weaves on the sul'dam -more carefully, the woman was not sentenced to death and sul'dam could be turned- and asked. "It is called compulsion. Do the damane not have it?"

The sul'dam did try to resist, but in vain.

"No, Aes Sedai," she replied after only a moment's hesitation. "Of course not. It would be dangerous. No one would want a damane to control anyone else, even through a sul'dam."

Yes, that was how the Seanchan would think! Sheriam filed that bit of information away and turned back to the Bloodknife.

"The Empress, who is she and where does she reside?"

"Empress Fortuona Athaem Devi Paendrag, may she live forever, resides at the Tarasin Palace in Ebou Dar," the woman answered.

"What do you know of her plans?"

"She will certainly strike again. We were supposed to weaken the Tower, but even if she learns we have failed, she will not leave this many marath'damane unleashed."

"When?"

"That I do not know. I only know my instructions. No doubt the Empress, may she live forever, is planning the strike with the information she has learned from those she captured."

Even under compulsion, the woman managed to sound scornful about this point -she knew it had been more than a week since the raid and the sul'dam was only now being questioned. Well, she couldn't know what else they had accomplished. Sheriam pushed the self-berating thoughts away, they were of no help.

"Do you know anything of her plans?" she asked the sul'dam.

"Just that she will strike, and strike much harder than before. Those who returned will have informed her of the defenses the Tower has, and if anyone who was taken has this weave of slicing the air," -they had brought the two women here by gateway rather than making them march through the halls- "I am surprised they are not here already."

And Elaida did. Nor was she the kind of woman who would hold out long when leashed. Sheriam hoped Mesaana would be able to retrieve the Dreamspike and find the key for it, they needed it, and soon! Or they would have to strike against the Seanchan fist.

"Tell me more about the Emrpess," she ordered the Bloodknife.

The woman did, and Sheriam listened. It was interesting, especially the fact that she was also sul'dam. That meant she too could be turned. If they could take her, which would be difficult, far more difficult than any they had taken until now. And if they couldn't even fully trust someone like Lelaine, how much would the turning help with the Seanchan Empress?

Sheriam interrupted the woman as she carried on about the Empress' feats and background.

"So she is currently at the Tarasin Palace?"

The woman nodded. "Yes, Aes Sedai."

"And do you know the place?"

"Not well, I was only there to receive my orders," the Bloodknife replied.

"You?" Sheriam turned to the sul'dam.

The resistance was greater now, but the answer came, albeit reluctant. "Yes."

So they did have a chance to plan a raid. That was not something she wanted to do alone, though.

"Mesaana needs to hear this," Sheriam said.

She hadn't told anyone what had happened, only that Mesaana was not available right then. But the Chosen should be up before too long.

"Return the Bloodknife to the cells. Keep her away from anyone else, and guard her closely."

She added a little to the compulsion, a will to live, so she could not commit suicide rather than continue to betray her people, just in case she did come out of it far enough to realize what was being done to her. She tied off the weaves, then looked at the sul'dam.

"Turn her, but keep her tied and guarded. It may make her marginally more cooperative, but the Seanchan way of thinking runs deep, and likely her way of serving the Great Lord would be to see us leashed and handed over to some Seanchan Friend of the Dark. Also, in the morning, see to it that the other sul'dam and damane are turned, and see what you can learn of their weaves. Get Cheryl to help, Saerin too."

Dawn nodded. The sul'dam -Sheriam had not bothered to ask her name, nor did she care to know it- tried hard to hide her fear but even so a gasp escaped her as the Black sister opened a gateway to Malkier and hauled her through with flows of Air. The Bloodknife had her emotions better under control and showed nothing as she was led off through Seanchan's gateway to the cells.

-0-

In spite of the hour, Sheriam had barely started on the reports of the day when an Accepted came in with a message.

"There is an Asha'man to see the Amyrlin, Sheriam Sedai."

That was quick. "Did he leave his name, or state his business?" she asked.

"He gave his name as Fager Neald, but he did not say what he wanted. Only that he wanted to speak to the Amyrlin and that it was urgent."

Sheriam nodded, then sent the girl to fetch Nynaeve. Opening a gateway to Malkier, she told the circle there to remain at hand for another person, then she let it close and waited for Nynaeve to arrive. It took a little while, but it was still early and likely she had still been asleep after the visit to Tel'aran'rhiod. Egwene had not yet arrived either, and Sheriam channeled into the callrod. Soon both women were present, Egwene alone while Gawyn rested, Nynaeve with Lan waiting outside in the hall. Sheriam told them Neald had come.

"How strong a channeler is he?" she asked Nynaeve.

"Almost all the men are strong, at least those Rand had gathered around him. But he is not the strongest among them. We should be able to keep him shielded," Nynaeve replied.

"The two of you shield him, and use this," Sheriam said, handing Nynaeve the sa'angreal rod. "I will knock him out just to be sure. I won't take any risks with one of the Asha'man."

The Red might be over the top with their mistrust of all men, and the Taint and madness was gone, but she still felt a little uneasy around a man who could channel, and it was unnerving that they had no way to gauge their strength.

When she was sure the two young women knew their tasks, she sent for Neald.

The Asha'man looked wary as he came in, frowned at her when she went with him into Egwene's study, but visibly relaxed when he saw Nynaeve. He greeted her cordially, and that was as far as he got. It really was quite simple to take those who came here of their own accord, and who knew and trusted some of those who were taken before! If only there was some way to summon this Empress of the Seanchan. But she would not come, had received the Dragon at her palace as Nynaeve had told, but had also made it clear she did not want to negotiate.

At least they had the first Asha'man. Sheriam saw them off, remaining in Tar Valon herself rather than leaving both her anteroom and Egwene's study unattended. They had to do that too often already, and each time increased the chances that someone would drop by and wonder where they had all gone. At some point she would need an assistant, someone to watch her door when she went off on Black Ajah business. Siuan had been useful for the brief while after she had been turned, even with her abrasive manner.

Nynaeve and Egwene returned quite quickly. Keeping in mind how smoothly things went whenever someone came here, Sheriam instructed Neald to bring the other channelers in Aybara's camp in. The Amyrlin had enough reason to request an audience with the Aes Sedai, and they used the excuse of wanting to learn more about the men before the Final Battle as a reason to request Grady's presence if he could be missed at any time. Only for the Wise Ones Egwene could not think of a valid reason to request an audience in the waking world. She would normally visit them in the Dream, and to request a meeting anywhere else would rouse suspicion.

The Asha'man was most concerned about Aybara's ta'veren influence, and Sheriam told him how the Great Lord's touch had protected them during the Dragon's visit. She was not sure it would be enough while he was in close contact with Aybara all the time, but it would have to do. She knew how dangerous the Two Rivers man was, had known he was a problem before last night. She would have preferred to avoid a confrontation with him but this close to the Last Battle that was no longer an option.


	12. A visit to Shayol Ghul

**A visit to Shayol Ghul.**

After Neald had left, Sheriam started the day's regular business, and around mid-morning Mesaana came in. She looked fully rested and no trace of her injury remained.

She was quite pleased Neald was taken, but the Seanchan bothered her. She ordered the Bloodknife and the sul'dam woman brought to her, then took them off to a separate room and returned almost an hour later.

"Breaking the key on the Dreamspike takes too long, I want the Tower protected by evening, we will strike at the Seanchan then. With the Tower under my control, the information about al'Thor's plans, and one of Aybara's men turned, I dare say I can demand it is given to me. The visit to the Black Tower and Demandred will have to wait, we will go to Shayol Ghul first."

Sheriam swallowed hard. She had never been to Shayol Ghul but she would have to face up to it eventually. And she trusted Mesaana. Oh, of course if she failed or made any major mistakes, the Chosen would punish her as hard as ever, but that was to be expected. She believed as long as she did well, Mesaana would not randomly endanger her. And if Mesaana wanted her to go with her to Shayol Ghul or anywhere else, then she had good reason for that.

"Yes, High Mistress," Sheriam replied steadily.

Like she had done before their visit to Malkier, Mesaana instructed her, then they told Egwene they would be gone for a short while.

Mesaana took a deep breath. Then she opened the gateway. Even as she stepped through, she let her Mask of Mirrors drop, and as soon as Sheriam had stepped through behind her, she released the Source.

Sheriam looked around. She stood on a slight slope at the foot of the mountain, which towered before them. There were cracks and holes everywhere in rough rock, with steam rising from them, but the air was cold, so cold it took an effort to ignore it. She glanced up at the sky above her, saw rolling clouds and flashes of lightning streaking up and down and between clouds, even though no thunder could be heard. And not too far from them stood a large forge, a group of bedraggled people huddled in front of it, guarded by a few Trollocs.

For the past couple days, she had tried to practice to take notice of her surroundings, but now she wished she could make herself stop looking instead. But she couldn't, there was nowhere to look except at the scene around her.

She looked on as a dark, slow moving manshape emerged from the forge. He held a long, pale blade in a pair of thongs, and walked to a small stream of thick, dark liquid that ran down the mountain beside the building. He stuck the blade into the stream, taking care not to touch the water himself, and the blade came out pitch black. Turning back towards the forge, he took one of the prisoners from the group, and led his victim inside. Moments later screams rose from the building, screams that faded slowly rather than being cut off. The group outside barely reacted, standing around numbly as if they were drugged. Drugged with fear perhaps, anything truly numbing their senses at that final moment would lessen the effect on the blade.

She had known how the Myrddraal's swords were made, and yet it was unsettling to see it happen before her. No matter how hard she tried to be strong, she had shuddered when the screams rang out. She tore herself away, turning around to look at the valley that stretched away behind them.

Not that Thakan'dar was a great improvement, the arid flats littered with rock and debris, the horizon shrouded in its eternal fog, it hardly made a pleasant scene to look at. But at least it was uninhabited. Or mostly so, she started at the sight of what looked like a small cottage and a couple of outbuildings built on the slope of one of the foothills close by. Who ever would live here?

The thought of someone actually living in this bleak, hostile area was even more disconcerting than the forging of the blades, and Sheriam turned back toward Shayol Ghul itself.

Mesaana stood, outwardly utterly calm, but Sheriam had noticed the deep breath she had taken before Traveling, and knew even the Chosen wasn't completely unaffected by this place, and the prospect of facing the Great Lord himself, even though she must have been here many times before. Or because of that, for Sheriam understood well enough that not all those visits had been pleasant.

They waited without a word. Mesaana had told her that while she knew the way into the mountain, these days there was a tall Myrddraal called Shaidar Haran who decided whether anyone could or could not see the Great Lord, and who spoke for Him here and elsewhere. Perhaps it lived in the eerie cottage in the valley, if it stayed here rather than in the barracks elsewhere in the Blight?

Sheriam's eye kept being drawn to the forgers, and the wait was long enough she observed small differences between them. The first one who had come out had quenched the blade, then taken one of the prisoners inside. A little later, another emerged who took his blade back inside first, before returning for one of the prisoners. And a third went back inside and did not reappear before the screams started, the victim apparently already inside while the forger worked on the blade.

It was uncanny to pay mind to the different ways the forgers worked, but better than to think about the prisoners and wonder whether any had come from Saldaean villages. Or whether their long wait meant the Great Lord was too displeased to hear Mesaana, would send them home or worse. No, better not let her thoughts drift. There, that forger took a prisoner as he held his just quenched blade, did that mean there were three of them at work or were there more who used the same method? Their methods was all that distinguished them, their faces, hair and clothing identical.

And then, without any warning, a voice like dry bones crumbling.

"Well, Mesaana. Considering the nature of your last visit here, I assume you have something good."

Sheriam did not wait for the Chosen's lead, but instantly dropped to her knees. Mesaana herself knelt just as quickly, but her voice was steady and clear.

"Yes, Lord, I do. I wish to speak to the Great Lord, I have important information."

"You can speak to me. Let's hear it." Sheriam hadn't known a Myrddraal's voice could sound so skeptical, and it took some effort not to flinch. That the skepticism was aimed at Mesaana made little difference, the Chosen had brought her here and if Shaidar Haran was displeased with Mesaana, she herself would hardly come away unscathed.

Mesaana clearly was more experienced at hiding her apprehension. While she was still kneeling -Shaidar Haran had not told her to get up- not a trace of hesitation could be heard in her voice as she told the Myrddraal how she now controlled the Tower, how they had learned about the Dragon's plans, and finally about the incident with the Dreamspike the previous night.

"The turnings have been felt, of course. Not strictly according to orders, and the Great Lord does not encourage creativity, but it seems to work. There is something to be said for greater numbers. About al'Thor, you will see Moridin and tell him what you just told me. The Dreamspike is yours to keep, tell Moridin to give you its key. I will take care of Graendal." Shaidar Haran paused for just a moment. "And one of Aybara's men taken, that is interesting. Kill the blacksmith and I will reward you."

"Yes, Lord," Mesaana replied.

Then Shaidar Haran walked over and stood directly in front of Sheriam. She dipped her head deeper in acknowledgment, but she was already bowed down as deep as was proper, and to bend further would be seen as a weakness rather than show greater respect.

"And why have you brought this?" the Myrddraal inquired.

If she had ever thought this Myrddraal was only a Myrddraal, the way it spoke of her would have quickly dissuaded her from that notion. She concentrated on not flinching.

"Sheriam is my second in command," Mesaana replied. "She needs to learn."

"An interesting choice."

"A choice made out of necessity at the time, but one that worked out well," Mesaana answered.

"Look at me," the dry voice commanded.

Sheriam looked up. Her heart beat wildly as the Myrddraal's eyeless gaze met hers and she felt an icy cold spread throughout her body, but she managed to look back and not blink. After an eternity, just as she felt she couldn't stand it a moment longer, Shaidar Haran turned away.

"Yes, interesting indeed. Rise, both of you, and I will transport you to Moridin's place. He has no Dreamspike but he has set some rather nasty traps against the uninvited, and he would not appreciate me telling you how to get around them."

Mesaana rose and so did Sheriam, making sure she was just a little behind Mesaana in getting up. As soon as they stood, their surroundings shimmered and changed. Sheriam started, she had never experienced this manner of Travel or even known it was possible, but clearly that was what had happened.

The place they had arrived in was sober, containing nothing but a number of plain, dark wooden chairs, most black with a few touches of red. The few windows had no glass in them and it was suffocating hot, especially after the icy cold of Shayol Ghul.

Even as they arrived, Mesaana channeled Air and Water, cooling the air around herself and Sheriam. Sheriam herself would not channel unless explicitly told to do so. Grateful for the cooler air, she looked around at the rest of her surroundings.

The walls of the room were a dark black stone, and at one end there was even a mantel set in them. It was hard to imagine this place being cold enough for a fire even in the heart of winter, but some desert places did get cold at night. She glanced at the windows, where a reddish light made it appear the strange fortress they had landed in was located in the middle of a pit of fire, but before she could move closer to see what was out there, the door opened and a man entered.

He was tall, with broad shoulders and black hair. Mesaana had not instructed her for this, the visit unexpected, but Sheriam knew it had to be Moridin when Mesaana respectfully bowed her head. Sheriam knelt deep, then raised herself up to one knee and remained like that as she sat behind Mesaana.

"I can't remember summoning you," Moridin said without so much as acknowledging Mesaana's greeting. His voice was deep and there was something eerie about his bright, blue eyes.

"Shaidar Haran sent me," Mesaana replied. "I have valuable information about al'Thor's plans."

"He did? Well, let's hear it." Moridin's voice was flat, disinterested.

He did not invite Mesaana to sit down and she did not do so uninvited. It was clear that while things had gone well these past few days, and she still stood above Moghedien and Cyndane, Mesaana did not stand high among the Chosen. Only when she told Moridin about the Dragon's visit to the White Tower did Moridin's expression slowly become one of slight interest.

"We will be able to take him either at the Field of Merillor or at Shayol Ghul," Mesaana finished.

"He must be allowed to come to Shayol Ghul," Moridin said decisively. "Before that he is not to be harmed."

"As you wish," Mesaana replied.

"See that you don't forget it," Moridin warned. "Semirhage did."

Mesaana frowned but did not reply to the remark.

"About the Tower, how come it is whole while I ordered it broken?" Moridin asked sharply. If the information about the dragon's plans had been welcomed by Shaidar Haran, Moridin seemed to care very little. Sheriam held her breath, somehow this man scared her more than Shaidar Haran had.

"It is whole but it is mine," Mesaana replied confidently.

"You said that before," Moridin remarked skeptically. "I see you have the Keeper of those so-called Aes Sedai again, but a lot of good that did you last time."

For the first time he as much as glanced at her, and Sheriam felt her breath catch in her throat. He really was worse than Shaidar Haran! His expression was one of utter disdain and she now noticed his eyes had small flecks of black in them, shooting across them constantly. Sheriam had never seen the like before, did not know what it meant.

"My previous claims may have been a bit premature," Mesaana admitted. "But no more. The Amyrlin and the entire Hall are mine, and they will not break free."

For a moment Moridin's face showed his skepticism, then he seemed to realize what she meant. "You turned them to the Great Lord? The al'Vere girl could be useful perhaps, but why take all those others, they can barely channel."

"By our standards. They are useful in numbers." Mesaana shrugged.

"Mesaana's Children indeed," Moridin smirked.

If Mesaana was affected by the insult, she did not show it. "Shaidar Haran also said you'd give me the key to the Dreamspike one of Graendal's minions carelessly allowed to be dropped on me last night," she said smoothly, changing the subject.

Moridin started. "That was supposed to trap Aybara," he burst out angrily.

"Obviously it didn't," Mesaana remarked. "It ended up in Tar Valon, where it hindered my people in their operations."

Sheriam noticed Mesaana did not mention she had been injured in the process, as she had to Shaidar Haran.

"Graendal is a bungling fool. I hope at least the other tool I lent her is still useable."

"The Man with Two Souls was wounded, but not seriously so. He should be fine," Mesaana replied. "More so than Graendal, Shaidar Haran mentioned he would see to her."

"Perhaps I will be able to add to my little collection," Moridin said, stroking two small, crystal and wire cubes he wore on a chain around his neck. "And speaking of punishments, would you like to see what became of your last pet Aes Sedai?"

"Alviarin?" Mesaana blinked. "You found her?"

"She found me, or rather she found Shaidar Haran," Moridin explained. "She foolishly thought he would approve of her escape from the Tower, saving herself and a few others high in the Black."

His tone made it abundantly clear how high he valued even those high in the Ajah.

"You have her here?" Mesaana asked. She gave a brief, grim smile. "Yes, I would like to see her."

"She has been providing me with some mild entertainment," Moridin replied. He gestured with his head. "Come, I will take you to her."

Moridin still had not directly addressed her, but Mesaana winked her with her hand, telling Sheriam to follow. She got up and stayed close to Mesaana while Moridin led the way through broad, stone halls.

The wide corridors were as bare as the room they had arrived in, tiled in red and black, and in one place became an open gallery, finally allowing Sheriam a view of the outside. An arid, red landscape showed, with fields of poor, struggling crops. On the far field a group of bedraggled people worked, with a number of black clad guardsmen watching their surroundings more than the workers. The sun shone down hard, causing the reddish light she had noticed earlier. As hot as it was in here, out in the sun it had to be almost unbearable. They had to be deep within the Blight, far beyond Shayol Ghul and Trakan'dar.

Mesaana seemed to pay no mind to her surroundings, although Sheriam now knew she always watched far closer than she appeared to do.

After a brief walk, they turned into a short, wide corridor at the end of which large, double doors were set in the stone. The doors were heavy, black wood and ornately carved, and opened before them as they approached. Did Moridin channel even to open a door? She followed the Chosen into a large throne room beyond.

Here, too, there was barely any furniture. A large throne done all in black sat on a dais, and against the wall stood a few tables that held such mundane items as a tea setting and writing implements. The walls were covered with tapestries, also done in reds and black, on each side were large doors leading elsewhere, and the tiled floor was patterned in the same colors.

And in the far corner, suspended in the air about a span above the floor, hung Alviarin. She was naked, her body was covered in angry red welts and sores, and she was hogtied, arms and legs held tightly in invisible bonds. She struggled as she saw the three of them come in, but she made no sound. She had to be gagged as well.

"You're lucky. Here's your chance to tell Mesaana how sorry you are for running off," Moridin said.

Alviarin's eyes opened wide and almost at the same time she crashed to the floor as Moridin released the bonds. With no way to catch herself, Alviarin smacked on the floor, flat on her stomach, and the bone cracked as she hit her chin on the tiles. She let out a gasp, lacking breath for a scream. Even so, she almost immediately started to struggle to get her hands and knees under her, moaning at the effort. How long had she been tied up in the air?

Sheriam had in the past week found the reports about Alviarin, knew she had been displaced as Keeper, served a penance harder than any she herself ever administered in her time as Mistress of the Novices, and then of course she had to face Mesaana with those failures hanging over her. Every woman had a breaking point, -at least any who hadn't been trained by the Aiel, she added, thinking of Egwene- and it no longer surprised her that Alviarin had ran off. But understanding and forgiveness weren't the same thing. She watched without pity as Alviarin dragged herself over to Mesaana's feet.

Blood trickled from her mouth and her voice was thick, almost unintelligible, but she pleaded. "Please take me back to the Tower, Great One, forgive me, take me from here, please."

Alviarin was bowed down far too low to see the Chosen's face, but if she could have, she might have known she would fare little better in Mesaana's hands. Sheriam however could see the Chosen's look of disgust, and when Alviarin came close enough to touch the hem of her skirts, she channeled and whipped her in the face with a lash of Air.

"Don't you touch me," she snapped.

Alviarin fell back with a desperate sob.

"I would like to take her with me," Mesaana said to Moridin, her voice icy daggers.

"No. I said she's been somewhat entertaining, and I don't share my toys," Moridin replied.

Even as he spoke, Alviarin was hoisted up into the air again, arms and legs forced behind her back. She struggled, her sobs becoming strangled from lack of breath even before she was gagged.

"You can however have the others who came with her, or two at least," Moridin continued casually. "The last one, -what was her name, she had long black hair?- was careless about checking her bedding and was bitten by a stick. But the others are still alive and of little use to me."

"Then I would like them back," Mesaana said.

Moridin walked over to the doors on the left, which opened onto a balcony overlooking the same fields Sheriam had seen earlier. Moments later, Evanellein and Melvara were deposited in front of Mesaana. Evanellien with a gasp, Melvara let out a startled squeak.

Even if Sheriam hadn't seen the laborers in the far field, it would've been clear the two sisters had been put to work under harsh circumstances. They were sunburned, their dresses which had been altogether too fine for work in the fields torn in several places, and a reddish dust covered skin and clothing alike. They both had a strip of cloth tied around their head, and streaks of sweat stained with more dirt ran down their face. Melvara wore boots which were scuffed but whole, but Evanellein's slippers were falling apart. And both had more strips of cloth wrapped around their hands, which were blood stained and covering what must be broken blisters from the hoes and other tools.

No matter how startled they were at being plucked from the fields in this manner, both sisters had immediately knelt down, bowing deep. They could not know Mesaana but they knew Moridin.

"I am Mesaana," the Chosen told them. "The two of you will return to the Tower with me."

Both sisters started, Melvara gasped and Evanellein looked up with a start before lowering her head even deeper to the ground.

"Forgive us for running, High Mistress," Evanellein said. "She did not tell us anything until it was too late to return, please believe us."

"If I had any doubt about that, you would be up in the air like her already," Mesaana replied. Ignoring the two sisters' stammered words of thanks and praise, she turned to Moridin. "The key before I leave?"

Moridin grimaced, clearly not all happy but even he could not go against an order of Shaidar Haran. "Spirit five six three overlaid by Water and Air right to left, then Earth fourteen as you open. No Fire."

Sheriam didn't understand a word of those instructions, but Mesaana nodded. "Then if I may?"

Moridin returned her nod and Mesaana channeled. A gateway to the Tower first. She stepped through and gestured for the two rescued sisters to follow. Likely Mesaana did not want Moridin to know they were also turning all the Black, something he could no doubt find out from Moghedien and Cyndane, but as long as they didn't take these two to Malkier directly, perhaps he would not think to ask.  
The sisters were startled to appear in Sheriam's anteroom, and threw uneasy glances at the inner door.

"Egwene al'Vere is ours," Mesaana told them. "So is the Hall and a good part of the rest of the Tower. Not everyone yet, though, so I suppose we will quarter you elsewhere for the time being. Unless you think they could claim a kidnapping?" The last was addressed to Sheriam.

She shook her head. "Too close to what we did to Maigan and Annisha. Better to play it safe and take them to the farm, it will not be for very long."

Mesaana nodded. "The farm it is. Malkier first, of course. You secure them while I show the others how to use the key. Any Black and those you trust of the Turned should learn." She paused. "Except for Saerin, Marris, Karale, Atuan, Dawn, Irna and Cheryl. I need them for the raid on the Seanchan tonight and if any of them get captured, they should not know how to work the Dreamspike."

Even as she spoke, Mesaana opened the gateway to Malkier and Sheriam acknowledged the order as she followed. So did Evanellein and Melvara. The two Black sisters looked completely baffled but moved quickly enough, even when they saw the Myrddraal.

"We have been turning the sisters who fought for the Light to the Great Lord, but we also ensure the loyalty of the Black Ajah. It does no harm. Each of you watch as I secure the other, then after you get cleaned up and at the farm and are rested, you can both help with the circles," Sheriam told them.

She looked around to see which of the Yellow were present, and saw Talva and Larissa had noticed their arrival and the state the sisters were in, and were already coming over. The two Delved and channeled and the sunburn faded, as well as the blisters and other sores.

"If there is anything beyond rest and a change of clothing you need, Kerryn and Leesa will take care of it. They run the farm," Sheriam said.

"We will be fine," Melvara said, even as she unwound the strips of cloth from her hands and flexed her fingers. "But Katerine, she was bit by a Stick, it was terrible. It got her on the small of her back, we tried to Heal but the flesh turned black no matter how we tried to stop it." She shuddered visibly at the recollection.

"One more for Alviarin. That makes sixteen dead because she ran," Sheriam said grimly.

The circle gathered around her and she linked with the others.

"Who were caught?" Evanellein asked. "Moridin told us the number but he hardly cared for even our names."

Sheriam named them and Evanellein cursed.

"I should have known something was wrong. I knew the pressure Alviarin had been under. I take responsibility for the deaths of those in the Grey, it was my fault for following her blindly."

Sheriam considered. It wasn't generally accepted to question orders in the Black, some orders could be very harsh or unpleasant or inexplicable, and it was usually unwise to question the reasons behind them. On the other hand, it would have saved lives if Evanellein had refused to go with Alviarin. And the Sitter had not even been on Verin's list! But you just couldn't have it both ways.

"Whether it was or not, you have done enough penance in those fields. Take your place in the circle and watch closely so you can take part after you're rested."

Evanellein nodded. Melvara laid down on the table and Sheriam wove the turning. Then the two switched places. Some of the Black in the circle switched out as well, those already taught the key to the Dreamspike joining while others left the link to be taught by Mesaana. Again Sheriam enjoyed the rush of power from the full circle.

When she was done, Mesaana was also finished with her instructions. The Chosen called Talva over.

"See those two off to the farm, and teach the key to the Dreamspike to Leesa and Kerryn. They will need to know how to use it when necessary. We are returning to the Tower, continue as you were."

Talva knelt with a quick assurance she would do as ordered, and Mesaana turned back to Sheriam.

"Watch." she said, and she wove a brief but complicated series of flows before she Traveled. Sheriam looked on closely and registered them even as they stepped through into the countryside some distance north of Tar Valon. There, Mesaana wove the same key, followed by a slightly different gateway.

"This opens the way to Tel'aran'rhiod, it is rarely used. It is dangerous to enter in the flesh, even if you know what you are doing, and rarely necessary. We won't be entering either except to pick up this."

She stepped through, reached down into a thicket and returned into the real world holding a long spike.

"Now watch. I will show you how to activate and deactivate it." The Chosen channeled the flows of the key, then added Spirit as she twisted some of the wires the spike was made of. Then she did the same thing in reverse order.

"Turn it off, turn it on. Try it."

Sheriam took the spike and channeled carefully. She felt the wires loosen as she did -before they wouldn't budge.

"That's it," Mesaana said, satisfied. "We will take it to the Tower in the off position and teach those still working on the turnings the key before activating it. None of those who haven't been turned though, and none who can't fully be trusted. Let those who haven't been turned believe that only the Hall and a small group of sisters who will open gateways for the others from the Traveling grounds have been taught how to work it."

That was how the weaker sisters had to get around at all times, and where many of those not of the Black still had to return -they had not shared the use of the Eye with everyone, so not all knew how to return safely to a busy location. Some sisters would no doubt protest, not in the least place Lelaine -who, Sitter or no Sitter, Sheriam was not going to trust with the key- but she could deal with that. There had been unpopular decisions before. She acknowledged the order.

"It may be some effort to get to everyone without those who should not be taught catching on, but see to it that it is done today. I want to activate the Dreamspike this evening, before the raid on the Seanchan."

"It shall be done." Sheriam promised.

Mesaana was already opening the gateway back to Sheriam's anteroom.

"Tell Saerin, Dawn and Cheryl to come to the Aringill house. Nynaeve too, she has been at the Tarasin palace. Have them bring the Bloodknife and the sul'dam, I have most of the information I need but additional questions may come up."

"Yes, High Mistress." Sheriam set to work, sending novices out to find the Black and sending those out to find and teach others. She set up a schedule of those who would channel the gateways from the Traveling grounds, and designated a small plot in the city to be used as a Traveling area for those who came in from elsewhere. The Tower held more than a few properties not actually on the Tower grounds; grain storages, small plots of houses for retired servants, and other assorted properties that had been acquired at some point or other over the centuries. A small property with a large courtyard -perhaps it had once been a wagon yard- was located conveniently close to the Southharbor Road.

She sent the messages informing the sisters about the restricted travel and the use of the new traveling grounds out at the same time, which made for a good cover, since now all the sisters would receive a message. That the actual message was different for some, only the Black and the trusted turned would know.

-0-

Verin sat and rested on a bench in the main room of Shaidar Haran's house. She should start cooking for supper, it still took her long with her hands. Some fingers were healing, ten days after the torture session, but some had gotten infected, and the broken finger still hurt with every move. She had fashioned a splint from a piece of firewood but she had not succeeded in immobilizing it completely, and it was still painful to work with it.

She got up to walk to the kitchen when, seemingly out of nowhere, a naked woman appeared in the middle of the room. Travel with the True Power still startled her, completely unfelt and also without the usual door-like gateway even the men made using Saidin. Another one of the Black who had tried to betray the Dark One and was resurrected?

She did not recognize the woman. Sweat matted the blonde hair, long and curly, and her skin was an angry red, as if she had been scalded all over. Welts stood out in an even deeper red, and blood trickled from broken skin in more than a few places. Her eyes were closed, she was breathing but Verin was not sure whether she was conscious.

"Are you awake? Who are you?"

No response.

She approached, knelt down and carefully reached out, touching the woman's head as lightly as she could. The woman's eyes snapped open and she flinched as if even her scalp had been scalded underneath her hair -which was quite possible, Verin thought.

"Don't touch me, _worm_!"

Verin pulled back, aghast. Only the Forsaken would use that kind of tone, but she couldn't be, could she? For one moment, hope rose inside her, but no, the woman did not look like the descriptions of Mesaana. Not unless she had died and received a new body, too. Graendal?

"Tschk!" Shaidar Haran said from where he too had silently arrived. "You stand no higher than her, not anymore. I thought you would understand that after what I did to you, but perhaps I need be a little more clear?"

"No!" The woman screamed, her voice shrill and her eyes wide in panic. "No, please, no!"

Verin watched as the woman scrambled to her knees, shaking and pleading. She didn't judge her behavior, Verin had no way of knowing what had been done to her and she didn't doubt Shaidar Haran could break anyone if he desired to do so. She herself hadn't lasted anywhere near as long as she had foolishly thought she would.

Shaidar Haran did not move, apparently satisfied with the pleas and sobs. He waited until the pleas died down to a whimper, and longer.

Verin hardly dared to breathe. Shaidar Haran had not struck out at her at random, but only a fool would draw his attention. She started when he addressed her.

"Verin, show Graendal where you sleep, get her dressed, and get her straw and a horse blanket from the stables."

So it was Graendal. Verin glanced at her even as she knelt deep, noticed she was still shaking.

"Yes, High Master," she replied.

Shaidar Haran turned to Graendal. "Your work starts tonight. Verin will show you what needs be done, try not to mess up."

Without waiting for a reply, he left by the door, and Graendal let out an audible sigh.

Verin looked at her coldly. The Forsaken must have failed greatly to end up here! She felt a little hope, even if the Black Ajah and Mesaana were still free in the White Tower, at least elsewhere the Dark One was less successful.

"Come," Verin said, with a gesture of her head.

"Don't you dare give me orders," Graendal hissed.

"He ordered me to show you around, and that's what I'm going to do," Verin said decisively. She sounded more confident than she felt. She didn't relish sharing her predicament with one of the Forsaken, and she feared that if Graendal made it impossible to follow the orders Shaidar Haran had given, he would be indifferent who was to blame, instead would punish them both.

Fortunately Graendal must have realized the same thing, and she was not eager for more punishment either. She got up, slowly, wincing at every move. She glared, and Verin met her eye for a few moments before she turned and walked out of the room. She would not let herself be intimidated by Graendal, not anymore, not after what Shaidar Haran had said.

The house was small, a closet with maid's clothing and supplies between the kitchen and the door leading down to the cellars. Verin opened it, pulled out a linen shift and a rough, woolen dress. She handed them to Graendal, who took them with an expression of extreme distaste, then gasped and almost dropped the bundle as she flinched from the touch of the coarse fabric on her arms.

"I can't wear this!" Graendal exclaimed, horrified, and Verin thought the Forsaken was referring to the pure practical matter of putting the garments on her singed skin, as much as to the extreme humiliation for her to wear such a crude, simple dress.

Verin could have pointed out she could hardly remain naked, or that the results of defying an order would be even more painful, but Graendal knew all that. She watched impassively as Graendal shuddered, hesitated, then with an agonized gasp pulled the shift over her head, followed by the dress. The woman winced, twitching as if she were bitten by a hundred ants. Rough wool did prick, even on uninjured skin, but Verin felt no compassion. The Forsaken had done much worse to others, so now for once the tables were turned.

Moving on, Verin went into the kitchen, opened the door to the small den where she slept. She had no cot, no pillow, just a pile of straw and a blanket. Graendal stared at the small room, mouth open and eyes wide.

Going out through the back door, Verin went to the stables, returned with arms full of straw, then made a second trip, and finally went to fetch a blanket. One blanket, she knew enough to take orders literally, but at least Shaidar Haran had not said they couldn't have a decent pile of straw. Even though it had taken Verin some time to make the three trips to the stables, gathering the straw while trying to protect those fingers that were still the most painful, Graendal was still rooted in place. Verin tossed the blanket onto the pile.

"It was the cleanest I could find," she said. "It smells like horse, but no worse than that. You can wash it tomorrow and it'll dry in front of the fire before evening."

Graendal still looked as if she could not believe what was happening. She stared at the blanket, then finally turned to Verin and slowly shook her head.

"I can't sleep on that," the Forsaken said.

Verin gave her a cold look.

"You will be glad when you get to sleep on that," she said. "Believe me, it is better than the alternative."

She tried to sound indifferent but her voice shook a little at those last words. Shaidar Haran had summoned her three of the nights she had been here, and she could not think of his cold touch without a shudder. She knew the touch of even a regular Myrddraal could drive a woman insane, had once seen a victim who had been raped by a Fade whose mind was completely broken, but Shaidar Haran wanted her alive and fully aware of her situation. Verin reasoned he must shield her somehow against his influence, but what she felt was still bad enough, worse perhaps since she could not even hope to escape into madness.

Graendal looked blank for a moment, then the meaning of Verin's words dawned on her. Her eyes grew even larger, and her breathing came in short, audible gasps. "Oh!" she managed.

At that, Verin turned away, looked around the kitchen. "We'll worry about that later, it's not like we can stop him. Sit down -or stand if that's easier," she said, remembering Graendal's scalded skin, "and cut that meat for the stew. I will draw water and get the fire started in the stove."

Shaidar Haran had said Graendal's work started tonight, and strictly speaking it was still afternoon, but Graendal's arrival and getting her clothing and bedding had taken some time. If she still wanted to be done on time with supper all by herself, she would have to work at a speed that would hurt her hands badly. She hoped Graendal was too overwhelmed to notice this small discrepancy, and indeed, the woman picked up a cutting board and knife and set to work without a word, looking dazed. Verin grabbed the large iron kettle and started to pump water.


	13. Fire and leashes

**Fire and leashes.**

Early in the evening Mesaana told Sheriam to get some rest, they would meet in the Tower's East stable yard two hours after midnight. The Chosen activated the Dreamspike before they went to their quarters to sleep.

It was only a brief rest, for the time came and all gathered. The stable yard was warded against prying eyes and none could see Karale, Atuan and Marris as they returned to the Tower once more to participate in a raid. Mesaana herself wove the gateway to Aringill, the Black sisters did not know the key. Apart from those summoned to Aringill the previous afternoon, Dagdara and Sedore were also present. It was clear the sisters had been instructed earlier, but Mesaana went over it one last time.

"Dawn, you target Selucia. Saerin and Karale, attack the Deathwatch Guard, Irna and Cheryl the damane on the right and Atuan and Marris those on the left. I will take the Empress myself. We will be in and out as quickly as possible, apart from Selucia who must die and of course the Empress herself, I do not care whether any live or die, just as long as they can not interfere. Do not hesitate even if any of the damane are Aes Sedai."

She then deactivated the Dreamspike and handed it to Sheriam.

"It is turned off for the raid. If any of the gateways close before those who opened it are back through, activate it. Dagdara, Sedore and Nynaeve are standing by to Heal but we will not risk the mission to retrieve any wounded who can not make it back on their own. If all goes well, activate it as soon as we have all returned."

If a gateway closed, that would mean any of those left in Tanchico would be trapped, to be captured or killed, but it was better than dealing with the Seanchan here. Sheriam would not hesitate. "Yes, High Mistress."

"Places, everyone," Mesaana ordered.

Sheriam stepped back, embraced the Source, ready to act when necessary.

Then Mesaana gave the signal. "Now."

She herself channeled first, the Eye opening. The others got their bearings off it and then the gateways opened, the sisters stepping through blasting streams of Fire and holding a strong shield of Air to protect themselves from a counter-attack. Screams rang out and at Saerin's gateway, a partially severed body fell through into the courtyard. The Eye could be used to avoid injuring people, it could also be used to open a gateway on top of an enemy on purpose.

Mesaana acted fast. Her gateway opened a second after the others, so they would draw the fire, but it was only a second. She rushed through, a shield bristling with power around her. Only moments later she was back with a startled woman in tow. The woman was young, dark-skinned, her head was shaved completely, and she was wearing a long, silk night gown. Mesaana had her gagged, shielded and wrapped in Air.

"Back!" the Chosen called, her voice booming with the Power to easily carry over the screams and cries of the battle.

The sisters burst back into the stable yard. Dawn first, her face bright with triumph. Cheryl pulled Irna along as they reappeared, the White cursing and turning, sending one last exploding ball of lightning through to Altara, even as Cheryl let her gateway close.

"That was Sheraine," Irna called out. "Sheraine! The bastards, they will pay for this!"

Saerin and Karale came running through their gateway at almost the same instant, Karale limping and almost tripping over a dangling strip of her torn skirts.

Sheriam turned to see about her injury and Dagdara, Nynaeve and Sedore started forward, but even then Marris and Atuan fell in through the last gateway. Literally fell, for even as their feet touched the cobbles a stream of fire hit them in the back. It cut off as the gateway snapped shut, and Sheriam channeled the sequence of the key and activated the Dreamspike. She knew even before she looked up that the fire, short as it had been, had done serious damage.

Marris sat on the cobbles, groaning through clenched teeth as she channeled Water and Air to quench her smoldering clothes, but Atuan lay face down where she had fallen, writhing and screaming in pain like a pig led to slaughter. The flesh of her back, shoulder and right upper arm was black and smoldering, the clothing completely gone, and the smell of burning flesh filled the square.

Dagdara, Nynaeve and Sedore left Karale, whom Sheriam could now see had a long cut on her thigh, deep but not life-threatening, and rushed over to Atuan's side. Channeling Water and Air the wisps of smoke disappeared, but the injuries were severe.

Sheriam dug the cup ter'angreal from her pouch and handed it to Dagdara, then backed off to give the sisters room to work. She did not ask questions, she could see for herself the situation was dire and anything she said would be a distraction.

Mesaana looked at the three Healers, Atuan and the others, then gestured to Karale and Marris.

"I can handle this."

She channeled, first Healing Karale and then Marris' superficial burns quickly disappeared.

"Cheryl, remain here with the Warders, the rest of you, you're with me," the Chosen ordered then. She opened a gateway to Malkier. Sheriam threw one glance over her shoulder but she knew remaining here would be no use, the three Yellow/Black sisters were strong and they could either Heal Atuan or they could not, she would hear soon enough.

-0-

Moria, Leesa, Velina, and several other Black sisters were in the Malkieri ballroom, waiting, as well as the Myrddraal. The Seanchan Empress visibly struggled, her eyes wide in fear, but of course it was in vain, and Mesaana led the circle herself, easily dividing the flows. There was no push against the shield, sul'dam had no conscious control over the One Power.

When Mesaana was done she released the bonds and gag and the Empress sat up. She looked around and as the Myrddraal withdrew, Sheriam noticed the panic quickly left her. In spite of her youth, this was a strong woman, used to being in command.

"The White Tower is even more vile and evil than I thought, what did you do to me?" she demanded.

Irna pushed through to the front from her position at the foot of the table, her face a mask of fury. She slapped the Seanchan hard with the flat of her hand, not a trace of her usual White Ajah calm remaining.

"You attacked us, your minions murdered my friend in her own room, and tonight I had to kill one of our own because you had made her into some mindless _thing_ with those horrible leashes of yours. And you call _us_ evil?"

She punctuated her words with repeated slaps and as she finished made to grab the Seanchan by the throat. Then Mesaana put a restraining hand on her arm. "Don't harm her, she is useful yet."

Irna still had enough control to curtsy as she backed off immediately, but she was breathing hard and kept glaring at the Empress with hatred in her eyes.

"Now for you," Mesaana addressed the Seanchan. "I am Mesaana. From now on you serve the Great Lord. And you serve me."

"I am Fortuona Athaem Devi Paendrag, Empress of the Seanchan Empire. My armies are even now preparing to attack the Tower with far more force than before."

"Then it is a good thing you will be returning to them to call them off," Mesaana replied.

"Call them off?" the Empress replied incredulously. "Never, nothing you can do will make me do that."

She seemed little impressed by being face to face with one of the Chosen. Sheriam had seen nobles like that, who had never in their lives met anyone higher than they, and simply refused to accept a situation in which they had to bow to others in turn. And she had been raised Seanchan, who knew what tales went around there. From what Sheriam had seen, it seemed they considered anyone who could channel and was not leashed almost as bad as the Chosen themselves.

"Didn't it work?" Birlen said softly, astonished.

"Oh, it did," Mesaana replied her. "She just can't get her mind around to it that serving a woman who can channel is ever of benefit to the Great Lord or anyone else." She turned back to the Empress.

"You should know however that your bold statement is untrue. I can put a collar on you, we have plenty of those since the raid, or I can give you to the Black sisters and I assure you they will be quite capable of breaking you. That however takes time, a luxury I do not have. I will use other means."

She wove the compulsion even as she spoke.

"Now, let's try this again. When you return, you call off any direct action against the White Tower, and you will release the Aes Sedai you captured. Will your commanders follow those orders or are there any among them who will balk at that?"

"I am the Empress, they will serve and obey," Fortuona replied. She, like the sul'dam, seemed to put up little or no resistance against the compulsion.

"Even if you give orders directly conflicting those you gave yesterday."

The Empress nodded. "Yes. They may be concerned and no doubt some will send a message to my sisters in Seanchan. They in turn may send assassins if they believe I am betraying the Seanchan army. But they will not rebel against me without support. The only one who is allowed to question my orders is Selucia. She will protest, especially about the damane being released, but I do not have to listen even to her."

"Selucia is dead," Mesaana told her. "You will take someone I designate as your new so'jhin."

"Dead?" This came as a shock to the Seanchan and for the first time Sheriam saw a brief glimpse of the young woman she was, rather than the mighty Empress who stood as high as the Chosen in her own country, and who lacked the experience to know when she in turn should bow. Just as quick it disappeared and Fortuona straightened. "You will pay for that."

Mesaana lashed out with Air. Just three times, but very hard, and Fortuona gasped.

"Don't be stupid. I let you get away with your attitude for the first moments because you had not fully realized yet what had happened, and because your ways are so different from ours, but by now you should have figured it out. You are mine, and I am not known for my patience."

"Yes, High Mistress," the Empress replied this time.

"Sit and stay quiet while I decide what to do with you," Mesaana told her, and wove a ward of Air so she could no longer hear what was being discussed.

"That was better, but a good part of it is still the compulsion," she said. "I am reluctant to let her return alone, even if the Seanchan do not know the weave. She claims no one will disobey her openly, but the orders will go against everything the Seanchan believe in, even if we give her some incentive to return the sisters, and I fear the obedience may not last as long as she thinks. She is confident, but also young and inexperienced, someone older will quickly suspect foul play. Sending someone along with her is risky, but I don't see any way around it. Someone to keep an eye on her and good enough with inverted weaves to send her a reminder when necessary, and to take care of anyone who gets too close to the truth. Any volunteers?"

Irna and Marris held up their hand, Irna too eager, Marris more calmly.

"I have practiced with the inverted weaves, High Mistress, the technique is very interesting. I am rather good with them. For someone from our Age," Marris added, well aware of what the Chosen thought of their abilities in general.

"Then you will go," Mesaana decided.

Irna frowned although she knew enough not to protest aloud. Mesaana noticed her scowl.

"If she is not fully cooperative when the Last Battle is over, you will get your chance."

Irna looked at Fortuona and a smile crept up, replacing the scowl. "Thank you, High Mistress."

"I can show you how to disguise your ability to channel, but you can not pass as Seanchan. I do not know enough of their ways," Mesaana turned back to Marris, then looked around at the others. "Those of you who know Ebou Dar, what would be the best disguise?"

"Why not pose as damane?" Moria suggested. "I know a silversmith would could make a copy of the a'dam, and that would be a reason to remain close to her at all times."

"A good disguise until another sul'dam wears the bracelet," Dawn remarked.

"And why would we allow one of our own to be leashed? We want the other sisters back," Velina wondered.

"A prisoner who refused to accept the new Amyrlin, given as a small gesture of goodwill in trade for the others," Mesaana said. "The Ebou Dari who hear it may doubt it, but they are far from the Tower and know less about Aes Sedai and the current Amyrlin than the people of Tar Valon or even of Caemlyn or Cairhien. For the Seanchan themselves, the tale will confirm what they believe about the ruthlessness of those who can channel."

Marris had been frowning at the bound Empress all this time.

"I wonder if the a'dam works if the controlling part is worn as the collar and the leashed one wears her end as a bracelet?" she asked. "If anyone can make one, that is."

Sheriam looked at her in surprise. "A very good idea. Elayne has made one before, she ought to be able to make another."

"Elayne has been taken?" Karale wondered, and Sheriam shook her head.

"Egwene will make the request, Elayne will never know _we_ need it."

"Of course." Karale looked abashed, and Marris' thoughtful frown, which had started off somewhat dark when Moria had come up with the idea of the fake collar, turned into a look of anticipation now. Mesaana nodded.

"See if it can be done."

Egwene was quickly called and she agreed it was feasible. Soon Moria Traveled back to Tar Valon to wake the silversmith, for Egwene explained Elayne would need an existing item to turn into a working a'dam.

All this time the Empress watched. In spite of being bound and gagged she could be watching a parade for all her expression showed, haughty and almost bored. Now Mesaana stood considering her, quietly tapping her lip.

"Now, for that incentive to explain her change of mind. I wonder what targets she cares most about."

Even as she spoke, she channeled and released the wards and gag.

"Tell me where those flying beasts are kept, I assume they are rather valuable?"

The Empress glared, then showed some confusion as Mesaana reinforced the compulsion, but Mesaana pressed on, and Fortuona gave all the details of where the raken, to'raken, Deathwatch guard and sul'dam were housed.

Then Mesaana asked her more about the armies, her commanders, her plans, the forces in the Seanchan homeland and anything else that was relevant. Using this information, the Chosen decided on a plan that should, combined perhaps with some light compulsion on the highest commanders and der'sul'dam, hold off the Seanchan for the time being.

They would set fire to several key locations, after which the Empress would 'decide to accept a truce'. It was still a risk, for an order to call off the attack on the Tower and especially the release of the captured sisters would cause unrest and suspicion no matter what the reasons, but Sheriam hoped it would hold for three weeks. Mesaana's inquiries into the general state of the Empress' army and even the situation on the Seanchan continent showed she too had her doubts that controlling the Emrpess would be enough to control the Seanchan for ever, but if it held until the Last Battle that would be of great help.

It was starting to get light out when Moria returned with Egwene. And the ter'angreal. It looked exactly like the ones taken from the damane and sul'dam after the attack on the White Tower, but Moria's look of satisfaction made it clear it was not.

"Master Georgios does good work," she said. "Elayne had some difficulties, her pregnancy interferes with her channeling and she can not hold so much of the One Power unaided. Eventually Egwene and I both linked with her, and then she managed."

"Excellent," Mesaana said. She gestured to Marris.

Egwene showed her how the clasp worked, and Marris opened and closed it several times before she put the collar around her neck. Then she put the bracelet on the Empress' wrist.

The Empress had been gagged and warded from hearing when they had discussed the making of this special a'dam, and while she had watched Marris take it, the confusion in her eyes showed she had not understood until the bracelet closed around her wrist. Her eyes opened wide in astonishment.

"From now on you are my damane," Marris told her. "I will call you Tuon except in front of the Seanchan, that was your name before you became Empress Fortuona, was it not?"

The Empress' hand shot to the bracelet but she was stopped short, by the a'dam itself which prevented the one who was held from removing their own leash, and then she flinched as Marris obviously sent some kind of punishment through the link.

"You will not try that again," Marris stated calmly.

Novices had often mistakenly thought they could get away with inattention or chatting or even pranks because the Black sister seemed so even-tempered. In fact, she did not accept any tomfoolery or insubordination, and had been as quick to send the novices to Sheriam, when she had still been Mistress of the Novices, or to the kitchens as any other. She just didn't see the need to raise her voice to do so. Like the novices, Tuon would learn soon enough not to push her luck.

-0-

With the a'dam made, they returned to Tar Valon for the fiery raids, taking most of those who had formed the circle along. Atuan and the Yellow/Black sisters were gone from the stable yard, but Cheryl and the Warders were waiting for them.

"Atuan will live," Cheryl reported. "But it is unlikely she will regain the use of her right arm. She is back in Aringill, Dagdara and Nynaeve went with her to see if they could do anything more when she wakes. But much of the muscle and part of the bone in her shoulder and upper arm was simply burned away."

What was gone could not be grown back, like the Dragon's hand. Healing would smooth the wound over, but when too large a part of the flesh were gone, that was all it could do. But Atuan had survived and that was something Sheriam hadn't been sure of at all, when they had left for Malkier.

Mesaana acknowledged the report and instructed Cheryl about the upcoming raid, showed the Dreamspike's key to the Black sisters who had been involved in the first raid, all except Marris of course. Then she ordered them to line up, and channeled Eyes to find the targets.

Voluntary or not, Tuon's directions had been precise, and it did not take long for Mesaana to find the best points of attack. On the Chosen's signal all opened a gateway into the quarters of the riders of the flying beasts, the morat'raken as Tuon had called them. They released a stream of fire for just five seconds, and let the gateways close again. The attack was followed in quick succession by blasts of fire into the quarters of the riders of the grolm and torm, followed by three separate locations of the stables. Not a single counter attack came through, the five seconds long enough to set fire to the buildings but not long enough for any damane to respond, even if there had been any at these locations. Which wasn't likely, the damane's quarters, kennels as Tuon had called them without so much as blinking or looking abashed, were in a different location, and any who were assisting the guards were only guarding the entrances, not spread out inside.

A few Eyes high overhead five minutes later showed all three buildings engulfed in flames, people and animals running around frantically, sometimes injured or even aflame, others laying dead already. In the brief moments they watched, they saw a strange, large beast, Sheriam did not know whether it was grolm or torm, which trampled a man as both man and beast tried to flee the fire, one of the great flying beasts which tried to lift off with its wings aflame but crashed into another building that had so far been spared, and a man who jumped from the upper story window, flames leaping out the building after him. The damage to property and the loss of life was great and Sheriam realized with a chill she had now seen the real power of the Chosen in battle. At the same time, the necessity of such protective devices as the Dreamspike became very clear. The Seanchan would no doubt do the same to the Tower if they got even half a chance!

As she was made to watch through the Eye, for the second time a crack in the armor of the young Empress showed, as she could not suppress a sound of dismay. Likely she had as little experience with losing battles and serious military failures as with situations in which she had to bow to those who stood above her. Sheriam thought that their plan was not so far-fetched as Tuon had claimed it was. A few more of these raids and Tuon might well consider to deal with the Tower even without the compulsion. With it, this was enough.

The raids successful, Marris went to change into a simple, coarse dress, to fit her cover of a sister who had rebelled against Egwene's rule. Sheriam wished they could leave Elaida with the Seanchan, but the risk was too great. The woman knew too much, and would be easily broken to tell it all. Travel, compulsion, the location of anything within and around the Tower, including targets outside the influence of the Dreamspike. No, Elaida would have to be rescued, even if it were only so she could be Stilled and executed.

While Marris was gone, Mesaana took the collar. After a while she took it off and told Sheriam to put it on.

She could feel Tuon's emotions through the a'dam, even more clear than through a link. Or perhaps it appeared that way because the young woman's emotions were so strong. Fear, sadness, anger, she was a mixture of strong emotions even though she had once again regained control of what she showed in her face. And in addition to all this, there was a deep sense of pure disgust when Sheriam so much as came near enough to touch her. Disgust rather than hatred, like one would feel for a rat or other vile creature.

When Marris returned Mesaana took her and Sheriam apart, while several of the Black sisters took a turn and tried the leash. The Chosen gave Marris her final instructions, some based on what she too had felt through the a'dam. It had provided more insight beyond what they had been able to tell just from watching the Seanchan. Then Marris took the leash, Mesaana channeled a gateway near the Tarasin Palace, and they saw the two off.

"Get a bit of sleep," Mesaana told Sheriam. "When those who were captured have returned from Altara, we will go see Demandred. I want Pevara's sisters back here too, and I will convince him to either release those he holds bonded or let our sisters bond some of his men."

Sheriam acknowledged and went to her rooms for another brief rest.

-0-

Even with compulsion and a'dam, their plan had been a risky one, and Sheriam was relieved when, only a few hours later, she was wakened with the news that the captured sisters, Accepted and novices had returned to the Tower, those who had been taken in the attack on the Tower and also Guisin and Ryma, who had been taken many months ago.

They were intercepted at the edge of the Dreamspike's influence by a group of Black and turned sisters. There they were split up and taken apart in small groups by some of the Yellow, ostensibly to check them over, and so they did, in addition to delivering them to Malkier. Even Guisin and Ryma, although the Yellow did not send them to their old rooms after their turning, as they were completely mindwashed and broken. Even after their turning they referred to themselves by their Seanchan damane names. Guisin kept repeating she had to be leashed, as all Aes Sedai, because such was proper, and Ryma asked to be returned so she could serve the Empress. The two were left in care of the Yellow, locked in for their own safety.

Several sisters had a Warder, but those had been waiting with the sisters here in Tar Valon and were taken along with them without difficulty. Any odd behavior would be explained away by what had been done by the Seanchan, rather than by the turning.

The Accepted and novices were taken as well, to avoid any risk of the details of the release coming out, and they were being watched over by Silviana and several others until it was their turn.

Some had superficial injuries, but most were physically unharmed, the a'dam's punishments leaving no marks on the skin. But all had lost weight even in the short while they had been with the Seanchan, and the red eyes and haunted looks told Sheriam they had suffered enough.

Elaida was a separate case. She was shielded as soon as she arrived, in spite of her protests, and taken apart. Then she was led into Sheriam's anteroom.

As Elaida was led in, the woman knew no better than she was to be judged by Egwene, or the Hall, and she fell all over herself giving thanks for her rescue and apologizing profusely for anything she might have done wrong during her rule. The woman looked even more distraught than the other sisters, whom Sheriam had watched from a distance after they arrived, and her fear for the Amyrlin or the Hall could only account for part of that. Her face was haggard, her grey damane dress wrinkled, and while Sheriam had not seen her recently, she was certain from the hollow cheeks and the sagging skin that the Red had lost more weight in recent days than any of the others. She had been correct, Elaida had not dealt well with the leash and would likely have been the first to break, at least from among the full Aes Sedai.

The state Elaida was in and her pitiful pleading did nothing to change Sheriam's opinion of the woman, in fact it rather irritated her. There were none present who weren't either Black or turned, and Sheriam didn't bother to pretend it was Egwene dispensing judgment. She ordered the woman Stilled and executed, while Elaida first fell silent in astonishment and then started to sob and plead even louder than before.

She begged to see the Amyrlin, the Hall, and Sheriam told her in a few short sentences that her pleas were useless, and why. She then did the Stilling herself -a full circle was custom but not needed- and wove compulsion so the stunned woman could not call out any accusations about the illegal proceedings. That done, she sent her off to the cells with Dawn and her Warders to guard her, knowing the Green would let none who were not trusted would come close enough to touch Elaida and read the compulsion. The time of the execution was set for the next day, to allow those who had grief with her to be present.

Sheriam briefly considered claiming Elaida was Black Ajah to justify the woman's execution rather than casting her out, but her crazy actions would not speak well for the Black. They would have to come out into the open soon, and fight for acceptance by the people of Tar Valon, the Tower servants and guards, not all could be done by force. The less recent violence and erratic actions were ascribed to their Ajah, the better. Elaida's rule had been hard on the city, she had made harsh demands of the people in favor of her own excesses. No, Elaida would be executed as the Red she was, and if that hurt the Red then Sheriam certainly did not mind. The one real Red -not Black like Nesita- who had stood out in the past week was Silviana, and if she suffered from the repercussions of Elaida's disgrace, Sheriam would suggest that once all was over, she join the Black. Come to think of it, she would suggest this regardless. While the fate of the Red had not been decided yet, and would not be her decision alone, the Red Ajah would not come out looking good, even with Elaida gone. Mistress of the Novices was a respected position, and Sheriam would rather have it filled by a Black sister than a Red.


	14. Gathering stray sheep

**Gathering stray sheep.**

The raid over and the captured sisters returned, there was no need to keep the remaining Bloodknife alive any longer. Even though they knew from Gawyn's information the woman was fated to die in a matter of days, she too was sentenced and her execution took place at High in the Traitor's Court.

After the Seanchan assassin's execution, Mesaana arrived and they went to the stables. Since the Black Tower was protected by a Dreamspike as well, they would ride in. While Mesaana had a truce with Demandred, she did not know the key to his Dreamspike any more than he would learn the key to theirs. The Chosen channeled a gateway easily large enough to ride through, and rode her horse, one of the Tower's horses giving no clue to her identity, through. A short distance away were the gates to the Black Tower grounds, now grown to a small town rather than just a village. Several men in black coats guarded the gate.

Mesaana did not name Demandred, nor even his presumed name, whatever that was. His rule here was known to her but few others. She asked for Taim instead, telling the guards she had come with news from Mahon, and it was clear the men had been instructed what to do in case they heard that message.

Two young men, boys still, with no decorations, took their horses and two of the men with sword pins on the lapels of their black coat bowed, then led the way to a large farm house in the middle of the Tower grounds. The town was sprawling and teeming with activity, men in black coats were everywhere. Even though she knew the taint was gone, Sheriam felt a little uneasy among so many men who could channel. She had been raised with the knowledge that men who could channel were dangerous for so long, it was hard to completely let go of that feeling.

At the manor house they were received by a full Asha'man, with both sword and dragon pin on the lapels of his coat. He too received Mesaana respectfully, as an important visitor, even though he too could not know exactly who she was. He led them into a comfortably if sparingly furnished room and told them the M'hael would be with them shortly. There were several chairs, but while Mesaana took a seat without the least hesitation, Sheriam remained standing next to the Chosen. Mesaana let her Mask of Mirrors drop as she had done the previous times when she had met with the other Chosen.

They did not have to wait long. Only a minute or two after the Asha'man had left, the door opened and Demandred entered. He was a tall man, who wore ornate clothing and would be handsome except for his large, hooked nose. Sheriam had never seen him before but she had heard him described, and it was obvious he wore no disguise either.

As soon as she recognized the man, Sheriam had knelt. Mesaana remained seated as she greeted the other Chosen, he stood no higher than her.

Demandred looked at them, raising an eyebrow as he glanced at Sheriam but he said nothing. As he too took a seat, Sheriam rose at a gesture of Mesaana and remained standing beside her.

"What have you come to discuss?" Demandred asked. His voice was calm, almost pleasant. Even so, he did not bother with even the least kind of pleasantries almost everyone exchanged when meeting, but came straight to the point. Not a truce based on any kind of friendly feelings toward one another, that much was clear.

Mesaana replied in kind. "It is about the sisters you are holding. I would like them back. Or let some of the Aes Sedai bond a number of the men, as per the agreement which was made with the rebel Tower's Hall."

"If you wanted to keep all of those so-called Aes Sedai for yourself, perhaps you should not have let them come here in the first place," Demandred pointed out.

"As I told you at the time, it was hardly my plan. I admit the previous Amyrlin was a bit difficult to control at times. However, this is now a thing of the past. The new Amyrlin ia all mine, obedient and cooperative. Elaida's execution is scheduled for tomorrow at High, in fact you are invited to attend, as is anyone from among your men who feels grieved by her actions."

Demandred ignored the last bit. "So you have taken and turned the Amyrlin."

"Not just her," Mesaana replied. "The entire Hall now serves the Great Lord, as well as almost every sister who does not have a Warder. Which includes all of the Red who are in residence."

This clearly took Demandred by surprise. "All of them? Why ever would you do that?" he asked, utterly baffled. "I have used it on some who got too nosy and whose death would either raise too many questions or would be somewhat of a waste, but why ever would you want to turn all of those children? They are neither that dangerous nor that valuable."

"We may have underestimated them," Mesaana answered. "While most are easily manipulated, there have been other cases where individuals have taken surprisingly effective initiatives. Turning them has put a stop to that."

"Taking only those who show such initiative seems to work just as well," Demandred remarked.

"It would still leave the great lot of them able to break free. This way, all will be on our side in the Final Battle. While they are weak and untrained by our standards, they can do damage in numbers. I have decided I want all sisters with me rather than against me. Your men are a greater risk, they are more trained in combat and stronger, from what I understand."

"Those not loyal to me will be sent elsewhere, to face odds even they can not handle. Tarwin's gap, perhaps," Demandred shrugged.

A look of distaste spread over Mesaana's features. "What a waste. Of the men and the shadowspawn. Now if there were no other way, but the turning makes such a slaughter unnecessary."

"So what if you turn them all, what would you do with so many afterwards?" Demandred asked.

"Even when the Great Lord is freed, there will be some who will need convincing before submitting to our rule. The Seanchan, the Amadicians, those in the lands now called Shara, and those are only the largest groups. A loyal army will be quite useful yet," Mesaana said.

Demandred made a derisive sound. "Children. An army of children."

"There is strength in numbers if nothing else." Mesaana pointed out.

Demandred frowned. "Even if I agreed, turning the bonded sisters or many more of the men will certainly be noticed. I have kept the last group of Red sisters from leaving, but there is trade between here and Caemlyn, and the Tower is still Lews Therin's in name. Even if he rarely bothers to visit, he will return sooner or later. Or do you suggest taking him too?"

"I would if I could. If it were allowed and if I had a way of getting him alone," Mesaana replied. "As for anyone noticing, the Black has operated in secret for centuries. There is no need to let on anything is amiss."

Demandred made a dismissive gesture with his hand. "That may work for you, but it will not sit well with the men. Those I did take were all too eager to join Taim's group and be done with the soft mollycoddling the rest of them calls training."

Mesaana took a deep breath. "For Darkness' sake, Demandred. It is only for a few weeks, they can be more subtle that long."

Demandred paused for a moment as if he were thinking it over.

"If you want your sisters and some of the men, you can turn Logain's, those who have bonded a sister. And it is your responsibility no one else finds out and I have a battle on my hands before the opening of the Bore," he said shortly.

"And the unbound Red sisters," Mesaana said.

"Yes, take them back to your Tower. And those camped outside the gates too. If you turn Logain's that will have to be enough, there will be no bonding any of the men, and it will be good riddance."

Mesaana nodded. "I will take them off your hands."

"See that you do." It was almost an order, but Mesaana had what she wanted.

"Mezar Kurin is taken, so is Tarna Feir. I will have them sent to you here. We will meet again a week from now to see how it goes," Demandred said. He got up abruptly and left the room without even a word of goodbye.

-0-

"Take a seat," Mesaana said as the door closed behind the other Chosen.

Sheriam sat down, glad there were more chairs and she didn't have to use the one just vacated by Demandred. He had not even looked at her again after the brief glance as he had come in, but being ignored was almost as bad as the disdain the other Chosen had expressed.

"Do you trust him?" Mesaana suddenly shot at her.

Sheriam blinked, startled by the question. She gave it a moment's thought before answering.

"He did give in awfully easily, even if he will not let us bond any of his men. I am sure he thought of something that is to his advantage rather than that he was swayed by your arguments, but what it was, I do not know," she said then. "Will he break the truce you have?"

"We agreed on a truce only as long as there are still other Chosen left alive. It won't last beyond that," Mesaana replied. "With Semirhage it might have, perhaps, but Demandred will not accept anyone beside him in the end, nor even too close below him. He was second in command to Lews Therin, second only, and it was still not enough. And because that is how _he_ thinks, he can never allow anyone else to hold a similar position. But he has little hope of challenging Moridin alone, so for the time being, the truce should hold.

"Most likely, he let me have the men who bonded the sisters because they are giving him trouble. I don't know whether he had any more hand in the bonding of the sisters than I had in sending them here, but he certainly does not have them in hand as well as he wants me to believe. It is unlikely he will allow for the turning of anyone else, which means we must find a way to put pressure on him or there will be a waste indeed, but it's a start."

Sheriam nodded. She was glad they could turn the bonded sisters at least, especially now she had heard Demandred's plans. No doubt they too would have been sent to die at Tarwin's Gap or whatever other place where they would be overwhelmed even with all the power they and the men could wield. She remembered how only a few days ago, she had decided she would no longer care about the Tower or any sisters not of the Black. How quickly that had changed again! With the Tower firmly in Mesaana's hands, she was now eager to build the Tower as strong as they could, and she could once again afford to feel protective about the sisters, once they were on their side.

It was not long until an Asha'man entered, and with him was Adrielle. The man's hair was graying at the temples, but his face looked too young for that, no doubt a result of the channeling. He was short and wore a garnet earring in Domani fashion. His features were hard and plain, but softened when he threw a quick reassuring glance to Adrielle before he knelt, the Grey sister following his lead.

"I was told to report to you, Great One. Mezar Kurin at your service. And Adrielle of the Grey Ajah."

"Rise," Mesaana told them.

Mezar stood. Adrielle rose hesitantly, as if uncertain the order was for her too, and remained slightly behind him.

"You were part of Logain's group, obviously," Mesaana indicated Adrielle, and Mezar nodded. "I want you to take the others who have bonded the Aes Sedai, shield them and bring them to me. Can you Travel directly from here?"

Mezar nodded. "Yes, Great One."

"Good. I will show you where to take them. One by one, they will be turned as you were. Be careful with those whose Aes Sedai have a Warder, the Warders must be taken captive as well during the turning so they can not raise alarm, after each sister can use compulsion to keep them from raising an outcry. And most importantly, do not let on anything is amiss. I understand you have trained with Taim's men, those you take will not be allowed to do so, at least not right away. Not until all are taken."

"Yes, Great One," Mezar replied, but he frowned even as he nodded.

"You can still get close enough to them to take some apart from the others, can't you?" Mesaana inquired. She too had noticed his frown.

Mezar nodded slowly. "Yes. In fact some have been trying to be friendly with me, even though I have avoided them. Norley and Welyn might be somewhat suspicious but at the same time they will take another opportunity to, as they think, hear me out." He hesitated.

"But?" Mesaana prompted.

"I am afraid it will be difficult to keep the results of the activities hidden for long. Some of those who do not hold a bond are already wondering about me, Androl Genhald for example, they will notice if many others are taken too," Mezar said carefully.

What was it with the Asha'man having so much trouble with deception? Sheriam wondered what would have happened if there had been no Taint, and the men who could channel had been able to do so openly over the pas thousand years. Would they have had an equivalent of the Black Ajah, hidden among the others, or would those who were Friends of the Dark have been at open odds with those who served the Light, in a war or perhaps ruling some territory of their own? Not that Taim's men were quite out in the open, but from what she heard it was a close thing. It was a good thing the Dragon took so little interest, if anyone of authority had questioned their behavior and separation from the others in any detail, their allegiance would not be a secret for very long.

"The Black Ajah have managed," Mesaana pointed out. Her voice was sharp, she was clearly irritated but she did not lash out. She glanced at Adrielle. "There are two hundred Black sisters among the Aes Sedai, and only rarely have any of them been exposed. And in recent days, almost all who have no Warder in the Tower have been turned. The turning changes whom you serve but it does not have to change your everyday behavior. Take those you can still get close to, tell them to take those who are their friends. There will be time for Taim's training, or something similar, when all are taken."

Adrielle had listened wide-eyed as Mesaana named the number of Black and mentioned the taking of the others, but she recovered quickly. She shot a quick glance at Mezar and knelt deep even as she spoke.

"We can do it, Great One," she assured the Chosen.

Mesaana looked at the Grey sister closely, likely trying to determine whether she were serious or just trying to make promises she could not keep out of fear. Adrielle was down on one knee, but seemed sincere enough, and she hadn't needed to speak up.

"Good," Mesaana said, and turned back to Mezar. "Then I will show you where to take the others."

She gave distance and direction, and told Mezar about the Eye, something Demandred apparently had not bothered with. The Asha'man channeled and even at this distance found the Malkieri ballroom quickly. The Chosen did not ask him for the key to the Dreamspike, if he could even have given it to them; apparently the weaves had certain code numbers to enable a man to give the key to a woman or the other way around, but Sheriam doubted Demandred had told those to Mezar, any more than Mesaana had explained them to her and the other Black sisters.

Since Mezar did not know the Malkieri room to Travel back, and Mesaana nor Sheriam had the key, he tied the gateway off for the moment, while the Chosen introduced Mezar to those of the Black who were present. Adrielle looked around the room in astonishment, looked as if she wanted to talk to some of the sisters, but there was no time for that. At a gesture, she returned with them to the Black Tower.

That done, Mesaana dismissed Mezar and Adrielle.

Tarna must have been waiting outside the door. As the two left, she entered immediately, throwing a nervous glance over her shoulder at Mezar and Adrielle. She almost tripped over her own feet and her eyes looked as if she barely held back a panic. As soon as the door closed, she burst out.

"Sheriam, I was told you were here, and we are supposed to return to the Tower, but really it is very important we study these men who can channel."

She shifted her feet and her eyes darted from Sheriam to Mesaana and back, but clearly she had not been told who or what to expect, likely she had not been alone when the messenger reached her. Fortunately Mesaana was more understanding about such things now than Sheriam knew she had been in the past.

"Those plans have changed," Mesaana said. "I am Mesaana, you report to me now. You will gather the others in your group and return to the White Tower with us, where they will be taken and turned to the Great Lord as you were."

At the first words, Tarna had dropped to her knees, and she now muttered, "Yes, High Mistress, as you command, Great One."

The Red sister shook like a leaf. If she returned to the other Red like this, they would know something was wrong.

"Get a grip on yourself," Mesaana told her, then as Tarna only shook harder, she too saw the Red was too nervous to do this alone. "Sheriam, go with her. Meet me at the stables in thirty minutes."

Sheriam rose from her seat. "Yes, High Mistress." She gestured to Tarna, who rose and almost tripped again as she got up, all the while stammering apologies.

Sheriam took Tarna by the hand and literally led the Red sister out into the hall, then found an alcove with a chest in one of the corridors and sat Tarna down on it.

"Now calm down," she said. "We do not want the others to realize something is wrong, or at least not seriously enough so they refuse to come. Will any of them be truly hesitant to leave?"

"I don't think so, I think they do mean to leave, to escape, for Taim held us here and would not give us permission to leave the Tower grounds. But they will be suspicious if I tell them we may leave now. Only last night I tried to convince Pevara we should remain, and I think she was suspicious about my change of mind then," Tarna managed to say, still stuttering but slowly becoming more coherent.

"Well, I will help with that," Sheriam said. "Your orders come from the White Tower now, directly from the Amyrlin. You have heard Elaida no longer rules, I suppose?"

"Only a few vague rumors. No one tells us much of anything, or allows us to contact those outside," Tarna replied.

"Well, that's how it is. Elaida is disposed, captured by the Seanchan who raided the Tower. She is now back in our hands and scheduled for execution tomorrow, but right after she was taken, the Hall agreed to raise Egwene as their Amyrlin before it could come to a second battle. Then we took Egwene, so the Tower is in our hands now. We will tell Pevara and the others it is on Egwene's orders they are to return to Tar Valon. And once there, there will be no time for them to voice their concern to anyone who matters. The Hall, all of the Red, almost all who have no Warder, are all ours. We will take the five of them and turn them too."

Tarna had listened wide-eyed. Away from Mesaana, she had calmed down some, but at the mention of turning the other sisters, she physically flinched. "Who… who will turn them?" she asked, almost a whisper.

"We will, the Black and those who were turned before," Sheriam replied.

"Not Taim's men," Tarna said.

"No, we do our own turning. What did they do to you?"

"Nothing. It doesn't matter. Don't ask. Just, don't let them take any other sisters," Tarna said evadingly, and that told Sheriam more than she wanted to know. While many Friends of the Dark were not near as evil as people assumed, the power the Great Lord promised did appeal to those who lacked any and all morals and restraints. She would have one of the Yellow check on Tarna later, to check for physical injury, disease and pregnancy. Not that the last was likely, another side effect of the Oath Rod, but better to make sure. But first things first.

"They will not be harmed," she promised.

Tarna looked a little reassured, but the haunted look was still there in her eyes. Sheriam let Tarna lead the way to the hut assigned to the Red sisters, but once there, she took over.

Pevara was suspicious indeed, even with Sheriam's claim the new Amyrlin had ordered the return, overriding all previous commands, but she was primarily relieved to be able to leave. The Sitter quickly packed up, must have had almost everything packed already. She did not argue to remain or leave any one of their group, but she did want to send a message to one of the men. Sheriam allowed her to write the message, then took it and went to hand it to one of the Soldiers for delivery. It was not her Pevara suspected, the Red frowned at Tarna's nervousness and watched her closely as she packed, so Sheriam could send a messenger off on a quite different errand just like she had done from time to time before Egwene had been taken. Delaying or misdirecting messages was a simple matter.

Even though Pevara was willing to leave and had sent her message, all the way to the stable she was scanning the crowd for someone she knew. In vain, for none of the Dedicated were seen, and even fewer Soldiers than before were on the streets, whether coincidence or Mesaana's doing, and they arrived at the stables shortly.

Mesaana had once again changed her disguise. There would be no reason for anyone not Aes Sedai to ride with them, even less for an Accepted, and she could not be a full sister unknown to them all either. Instead, it appeared to be Adine who was waiting for them at the stables. The real Adine had been at Malkier, would be there for some time yet, and had never liked the Red much, so she would not be expected to join in chatter about personal things that Mesaana did not know about.

As they fastened the packs to the saddles, Pevara exchanged a few words with the boy who led out her hose, but Sheriam worried little about what she said. Nothing she could say to a mere stable boy would make a serious difference at this point.

They rode out of the gate, Sheriam and 'Adine' leading. The soldiers at the gate had clearly been told to let them go, and bid them farewell as cordial as any guardsmen elsewhere. The sisters looked clearly relieved to be gone from the Black Tower, Tarna most of all. Pevara frowned at her as Tarna let out an audible sigh, was clearly concerned, but at this point it would no longer matter.

As soon as they were out of sight, Mesaana opened the gateway. Not directly onto the Tower grounds, but to the place directly out of the Dreamspike's influence, so none would see the additional weaves required. Pevara showed some concern about the fact that Travel was restricted to and from the White Tower as well, but Sheriam told them about the Seanchan raid and the Red sister reluctantly admitted to the necessity of such measure. Some of the marks left by the Seanchan were still visible even from here, the actual holes in the wall repaired by now but the new masonry slightly off color.

They continued to the stables and Sheriam gestured for them to follow her to her anteroom. From there, in spite of Pevara's wariness, it was easy to send them into Egwene's study one by one and from there on to Malkier, tied and shielded. Not an hour after, the Red sisters were turned and were sent to their quarters, save for Pevara whom Sheriam ordered to remain and report on their stay at the Black Tower.

"I knew something was wrong with Tarna," Pevara said as she sat down across from Sheriam's desk. "She wasn't herself last night, in fact she seriously scared me, her eyes were so dark and empty even though she tried to keep up appearances. I suspected some kind of compulsion, or perhaps another form of coercion, but I did not know of the turning, nor could I ever have dreamed of anything on this scale."

Pevera too wasn't anything like her usual bright, easy-going self, instead looking grim and on edge. Sheriam was glad she was doing the debriefing alone, Mesaana having left as soon as all sisters were secured. She poured the Red sister a cup of tea and sat back down.

"Tarna was taken by Taim's men," she said then. "I do not know the details but suffice to say they did rather more to her than just turn her. But that was their doing, none taken by us have been harmed in the process."

Pevara cursed. "Damn. It was my mission, it should have been me."

"I understand she was simply at the wrong place at the wrong time, they didn't go at it as methodically as we did. If they had, they wouldn't have hurt her so it left her so shaken up that it showed. I will have her checked up by the Yellow, do not blame yourself for what happened to her."

Pevara sighed, then bit her lip and nodded.

"Some of the Dedicated suspect Mezar Kurin as well," she said then. "He too was taken, was he not?"

"Yes, he was," Sheriam replied. "Him and Adrielle. I do not think they touched her, not with the bond and them wanting Mezar to cooperate with them. However he was not told to keep going as if nothing had happened, was offered a position among Taim's men instead. It is no wonder people noticed the change in him. Mezar told us some of the Dedicated had been suspicious about his new alliance, but they should be taken care of soon enough."

Pevara nodded again, still somewhat apprehensive but she was getting her emotions under control. "He may have difficulty if he is not allowed to take those who don't hold a bond. Androl spoke with me about their concerns and I explained to him about compulsion, we had planned to check Tarna and Mezar for that. I can stall him, though, for a limited time."

"Do it. He will have fewer allies when those who do hold a bond are taken, and all will be told to hide their new alliances better than Mezar," Sheriam replied, "If no one is careless during the taking itself, and since you nor Androl knew of the turning as it is done, do what you can to keep the others reassured long enough so no action is taken."

"The men certainly are less subtle than the Black. I still can't believe how big the Black Ajah is, there really were over two hundred of you all along?" She shook her head in disbelief. "But we should be able to handle the soldiers and other Dedicated for a while at least. Those holding a Bond are generally the most senior in rank, with the exception of Androl and Emarin Pendaloan. Those two have reached a position of influence rather quickly, even though Emarin has come to the Black Tower very recently."

Sheriam made a note. "I will mention it." She did not know how far they could push their limits and go beyond the men holding the bond, but that would be for Mesaana to decide. "Anything else we need to know about them?"

Pevara shook her head.

"Then tell me about the rest of the Black Tower," Sheriam told her.

Pevara reported and Sheriam listened, making more notes as she did. No doubt Mesaana had made good use of the time in which she and Tarna had gathered the other Red, but Pevara had been at the Black Tower far longer and had much to tell.

Sheriam was startled at the numbers Pevara gave, more than she had estimated even after her visit, and new recruits coming in at about twice the rate the novices were coming in at Tar Valon. It would be an effort to turn them all, even if they were to get free reign next week, which was not all certain. And yet they would have to try. According to Pevara, the men were taught offensive weaves from the very first day on, and even soldiers who had been at the Tower a week were often capable of casting lightning and flame or hurling exploding rocks. It would be costly indeed if they were left to fight for the Light, at Tarwin's Gap or anywhere else, and a huge asset if they had that army on their side.

As Pevara finished her report, Sheriam quickly filled her in on the changes at the White Tower, for so far that hadn't been done yet in Malkier. The Red sister nodded quietly as she was told Barasine and Memara had been chosen as Sitters for the Red. She took it in good grace, as she too realized the seats of the Red could not be kept empty for long at a time like this.

By the time they were finished, Pevara was almost herself again, smiling as she got up and bade goodbye. She was level-headed, quite pleasant for a Red, and her report had been satisfactory, Sheriam hoped it would be her who would keep the third seat in the Hall. But the mission to the Black Tower had been hers, and it had failed, even though that was really not Pevara's fault. Tsutama would probably chose Javindhra instead. It was tempting to use her position to preempt any such choice, but it was better not to interfere. If all went well, the Hall and the Ajahs would undergo a major change in a few weeks, and there was no need to ruffle more feathers right now.

-0-

The visit to the Black Tower, the turning and the debriefing had taken a good part of the afternoon, so Sheriam was not surprised to find several people waiting for her when she let Pevara out. Those who had simple requests and knew of the actual balance of power within the Tower, she sent on to Egwene. Some she had to deal with herself though. Notori asked to see her specifically, and she knew it was Black Ajah business.

After dealing with a concern from Meidani and Morvrin, both of whom had a Warder and were not turned yet, and sending Saeine off to tell Myrelle and her group to return to Tar Valon, she invited Notori in.

The Black sister glanced at the door uncertainly until she saw Sheriam weave the ward against eavesdropping, as she automatically did. Many were not used to speaking more openly now, let alone in her Keeper's anteroom! And a good thing, because there were others like Meidani and Morvrin who were not turned yet. But the wards woven, they could now speak.

"I've had a message from Falion," Notori said when she was sure the ward was in place. She produced a small strip of paper as was commonly used when sending a message by pigeon. "She escaped from prison, and requests emergency funds. She and another -who I do not know since the message is very brief and in code, of course."

Sheriam held out her hand, taking the strip of paper from Notori.

_Dear aunt, had to leave the farm because of the war. Erin and me are both safe but we had to leave everything behind. Master Larennen has taken us in and we can help him with the work but please send some gold if you can miss any. I will repay you as soon as I can. Love, your cousin Raisa._

"You know where she is?" Sheriam asked.

"Yes, I do," Notori replied. She did not elaborate, and Sheriam did not ask.

"Would they be safe there if they had funds, or is it a temporary haven only?" She did want to know that, the farm and the Aringill house were both getting quite full.

"It is too near Caemlyn, I do not think it is safe for them to remain there," Notori answered. "I do not know why she chose to go there, but then I am not sure if she has been taught how to Travel. Maybe they had to walk or ride only."

"Then bring her in," Sheriam decided. "Not to here of course, first to Malkier and then to the Kandori farm. They will have to make room for two more. Tell them I will see them there tonight, I will have to check on Evanellein and Melvara also. Anything they need, Leesa and Kerryn can purchase, I will bring more coin when I go."

Notori nodded. "It will be done."

"And do not Travel from this location to Malkier directly, even if Falion knows the weaves or you can show her. Open a number of gateways in succession so the final destination can't be read. Even if she thinks she was not followed, Elayne and the Caemlyn guard are not to be underestimated, channel several gateways to muddle the one you arrive by, too."

Notori looked startled before she nodded again, and Sheriam was glad she had cautioned the Black sister, she wouldn't have thought of it herself. With that, she sent Notori on her way.

So Falion was safe, and one other. Out of five who had been imprisoned, if her information was correct. Not that there came much information from Caemlyn these days. But there would be either more caught than less, otherwise the reports would not have stopped coming in. Who else had escaped with her? Or perhaps only Falion had escaped and she had caught up with someone else, there were still some sisters out in the world, who knew where, including some Black Ajah. But if she had found a sister who had been outside all along, or even if she'd had help breaking free, then she wouldn't have had to write Notori for assistance. For one, most had learned to Travel now. It had to be one of those taken by Elayne and held in Caemlyn, but who, Chesmal, Marillin, Temaile or Eldrith? And what had happened to the others? Well, she would find out tonight. Making a mental note of the amount of coin to take to Kandor -for Evanellein and Melvara's needs, too- she turned to other business.

-0-

Mesaana came in shortly after Full to go over the plan to take the envoy the Dragon would send the next day, and then Sheriam Traveled to Kandor.

She stepped through into the courtyard where a man she did not know was mending some tack together with one of the Warders, dressed in ordinary farm clothes. Another Warder was raking straw near the largest of two barns. All had their blade resting nearby, and had moved nearer as the gateway opened, but they relaxed when they saw who she was.

The farmer stood, bowed respectfully and introduced himself as Master Harfin, Jalila's brother.

"Pleased to meet you, Master Harfin," Sheriam said. "The Tower thanks you for sheltering the Black. I realize it must be an inconvenience to have so many staying here."

"We can manage, Aes Sedai," he replied. "I am happy to help in this manner, for when it comes to the Last Battle it won't be my wheat, my ice peppers or the raising of cattle that tips the balance."

A man well into his fifties, Master Harfin's bearing reflected the prosperity she had seen inside on previous visits. But his clothes were plain and his hands calloused. No doubt his allegiance had provided him with opportunities, the chance perhaps to buy a better field for less than his neighbors would have paid, or to be tipped first about the best breeding stock, but prosperity did not come by that alone, not on a farm. The field had to be worked, the breeding stock taken care of, and Master Harfin had done all that.

"It will be made worth your while," Sheriam promised. Elaida's mismanagement and the exorbitant prices for food and other supplies due to the war had put a serious dent in the Tower's coffers, but Master Harfin's help to the Black was invaluable.

"Thank you, Aes Sedai," the farmer replied and bowed.

While they spoke, Leesa had appeared, Bryne beside her. The general looked as alert as any Warder and he stuck close to the Black sister. Sheriam wondered what sort of deception Leesa had thought up, it must be something clever, for she obviously had him well under control with little strain.

"Sheriam," Leesa greeted her. "The dining room is yours to use. Falion and Marillin are waiting for you, together with two Friends of the Dark who were with them. Evanellein and Melvara are also available, as well as Annisha and Maighan. When Mezar brought one of the Dedicated in Kerryn asked if he knew the Healing, and he did, so the two of them are Healed and able to channel again. Would you like to see anyone else?"

"Excellent," Sheriam said. She was particularly happy to hear the second escapee was Marillin, not only a member of the Council but also a friend from a time neither of them had known the other was a member of the Black. "No, I think that is it, except for you and Kerryn last. Unless anyone else has requested to speak with me?"

"No," Leesa replied. "We have been able to handle everything else that has come up."

Sheriam nodded. She appreciated how the place was run.

"I will see Falion and Marillin then, lead the way."

Leesa turned and showed her into the house, across the hall to a door next to the kitchen. The dining room was as luxuriously furnished as the hall, and paneled in dark wood, it would not have miss-stood in a noble's manor. The one thing out of place were some cots stacked against the far wall, apparently some had to sleep even here. But now the large, dark wood table, inlaid with a beautiful star pattern in the middle, was cleared, the chairs with carved backs placed neatly around it.

As Sheriam entered, Falion and Marillin stood and curtsied. They were thinner than Sheriam remembered them, but not extremely so, and they seemed in good shape under the circumstances. The two strangers had also risen, a young woman who curtsied, and a man with a gaunt face and dark eyes who knuckled his forehead as he made a bow.

"Aes Sedai." Both greeted her respectfully, but it was clear they stood high in the ranks of the Friends of the Dark. Sheriam nodded to them, returning their greeting.

"Falion, Marillin, I am glad to see you. It is good to have you back," Sheriam said sincerely. Then she turned to the others and introduced herself. "Sheriam Bayanar, Keeper of the Chronicles at Tar Valon."

"Lady Shiaine Avarhin, from Andor. Daved Hanlon," the young woman introduced them both.

Now that she looked at her directly, Sheriam thought the woman looked vaguely familiar, but the name did not ring a bell and she could not place her. Perhaps it would come to her later.

"Everyone please be seated," she said.

The two sat down, as did Marillin and Falion. Sheriam herself took the seat at the head of the table, on an even more heavily worked chair, no doubt Master Harfin's in normal times. As she watched, Sheriam noticed again the high standing Lady Shiaine must have, for Falion and Marillin waited carefully for her to sit first. Even so, it was the two Aes Sedai she turned to for their report. They were Aes Sedai and this farm, this meeting room, was for all practical purposes a part of the White Tower, for the time being.

She listened as the two sisters related how they had worked in Caemlyn until caught by Elayne and the Kin. So Careane was dead, that explained why the reports about Elayne's doings had stopped coming. Sheriam had not known who was reporting, that was before so many more of the Black had made themselves known to one another, but there had been ways to send messages, some encoded and vague like the one Notori had received and some more concise.

Elayne would become a problem yet, even if her own strength was not so great because of her pregnancy. But she was not infallible. While Falion told her how the prison break had only been partially successful, and had cost the lives of Chesmal, Eldrith and Temaile, she and Marillin at least were free.

And Lady Shiaine and Hanlon. The more she looked at her, and heard her speak as she inserted an occasional remark, the more certain Sheriam was she knew the woman.

"Have you ever been to Tar Valon?" she asked outright when Falion had finished her report.

"No!" The startled denial was a clear lie, seemingly out of character for an experienced Friend of the Dark. She must have quite a bad experience in the city, or the Tower.

And then Sheriam remembered. Much younger, a girl of perhaps thirteen, fourteen years at most, and she had been inconsolable when she was told she could not learn to channel. Inconsolable, and then angry, very, very angry. Her name had been different though, not Shiaine but Meri, Melli,… Mili, that was it. So she had found a way to give direction to her anger. And a new identity. Well that was not unheard of among the Friends of the Dark, at least not among those who actively worked as assassins or informants.

"Then it must be a sister or niece I am thinking of," she said smoothly, but all knew she was not fooled. It was just a way of saying she would not press the point. And it was good enough for Lady Shiaine.

"I would appreciate the Tower's help in making contact for my next assignment," she said.

"It is quite possible Mesaana has work for you. If not, we can arrange for Travel elsewhere," Sheriam told her.

"That is acceptable," Shiaine/Mili replied.

"Are there any other questions or concerns?" Sheriam asked.

Falion glanced at the two Friends of the Dark and licked her lips nervously, but did not speak. Then Marillin took the lead.

"It's a ter'angreal, it belongs to the Tower."

"You have found a ter'angreal?" Sheriam asked Lady Shiaine, her interest peeked.

Clearly reluctant, Lady Shiaine produced a silver foxhead medallion.

Sheriam drew a sharp breath as she recognized it. "Where did you get this?" she asked.

"Elayne carried it. It and another like it, in fact, but I only managed to get this one," Hanlon replied her.

"Elayne. And she had two?" Sheriam cursed, if she had been making copies, who knew how many of these there were, now. Although perhaps not that many, she amended, recalling Moria's account of the young woman's difficulty channeling. She had to send someone in to replace Careane, or she would have Egwene request to see the sisters who with her in the palace. Having this one to use and study might come in useful, it was a good thing Hanlon had managed to take it.

She held out her hand and, still reluctant, Lady Shiaine handed her the ter'angreal. The moment it touched her skin, she lost Saidar, and with another curse she dropped it onto the table. Had it always done that? She would give it to the sisters who had tried to study it in Salidar, although she was not sure any of them had ever convinced Mat Cauthon to let them actually lay hands on it.

"Since you can not channel while holding it, what good is it to you?" Lady Shiaine asked.

"It may not be as useful to us as protection, but learning more about what it does and can not do will be of help. Especially since Mat Cauthon was, likely still is, wearing one of these," she said. She would not let Lady Shiaine have it even if it was of no use to her at all, she did not know or trust the woman well enough, but that was beside the point.

"Even Aes Sedai must turn in any ter'angreal they find, and that is one rule that will not change," she added as Lady Shiaine still looked decidedly unhappy.

The young woman sighed but gave in with a brisk nod.

"So, anything else?" Sheriam asked.

This time, all shook their heads.

"Then, dismissed. Send in Maighan and Annisha next, if you would."

She addressed this last to Falion and Marillin again, who nodded. The four left and the two kidnapped sisters replaced them.

Maighan and Annisha came in together, but Sheriam got the feeling the two had not fully made up after their different reactions to being captured and Stilled. They moved stiffly and kept slightly more distance than natural as they walked through the door and also as they sat down, scooting the heavy seats just a little farther apart. But the turning ensured the loyalty of both, and Annisha too greeted Sheriam respectfully.

Maighan was the one to report on the Healing. She kept her report brief, but her voice was bright and clear.

"I still would like to join the Black, if I could," she finished.

"You don't have to," Sheriam replied.

"I said I would, and I still mean to," Maighan said. "I was always taught the Black Ajah, any Darkfriends, were truly evil but I was wrong. The Black sisters have been very accommodating and so has Mistress Halfin."

"There can be strife within the Black as well as towards others, but we have a common cause now. And likely will have for some time," Sheriam replied.

Once the Last Battle was over, they would rule the world, and there would be many positions of power to go around. At some point, with the great inflow of new novices, the best positions would run out and the struggle for power would resume, but that would be for later concern. And those who were part of the Black now would likely have seen themselves firmly established by then.

"See Moria," she told Maighan. "She recruits from the Blue."

"Thank you, I will," Maighan replied.

Annisha made no such request, and Sheriam did not offer. Those who came voluntary, and showed the greatest loyalty, beyond what was induced by the turning, would benefit, but taking that opportunity was everyone's own responsibility.

Evanellein and Melvara had nothing out of the ordinary to report. With the deep tanned skin that was left after the Healing of their sunburn, they could have passed for farmwives themselves, or at least farmwives on a feast day, for their new clothes were too fine for manual labor. They had rested well and had already taken part in the circles that afternoon.

Last of all, Leesa and Kerryn reported on the state of the farm. In spite of being over-crowded, it was still running smoothly. Several of the Warders helped Master Harfin with the labor, as she had seen when she had arrived, and the place was secluded enough that the sisters did not have to spend all day inside either. Any purchases were done far from here, Travel making it possible to buy supplies and the necessities for the rescued sisters in different places, without alerting the locals to the large number of people staying here. And not only that, the two sisters managed to find those places where the shortages were the least severe, thus saving a good bit of gold.

In spite of learning of the deaths of the four Black sisters in Caemlyn, Sheriam was quite satisfied as she returned to the Tower. She had always known those who were captured had little chance to survive, and having two of them back was more than she could have hoped for.

She made a brief report to Mesaana, who took note of the news and received the ter'angreal, and then went to bed early. The past two nights her sleep had been interrupted frequently and she was looking forward to some real rest.


	15. First among the Dragon's men

**First among the Dragon's men.**

The next morning Sheriam woke refreshed, her sleep undisturbed. She got up early and had breakfast with Arinvar, who even after the assassins were caught preferred to accompany her on the Tower grounds.

After breakfast, she called for Myrelle and sent her off to Caemlyn. She wanted someone near Elayne, and while Myrelle had not voluntarily joined the Great Lord, Sheriam thought her quite capable. Also, it would get her and her Warders out of the Tower. Although there were several unturned sisters in Caemlyn, too, who knew the Green and her Warders. Still Myrelle was a sensible choice, she'd been trusted by Egwene and by Moiraine, which would speak well for her when it came to gaining Elayne's trust.

That done, she went over the preparations for taking the Dragon's envoy, making sure all of the Sitters were near at hand. The Dragon had not sent a message specifying a time, nor had he let them know whom he would send, but Egwene was sure he would keep his word and send one of his Asha'man this day.

And so he did. It was only shortly after breakfast when one of Coulin's guardsmen came to her anteroom and told her Jahar Narishma had come to see the Amyrlin.

Sheriam asked him if he had an Aes Sedai with him, and the guard confirmed Merise and her two Warders had come too. As was expected, but it was good to have it confirmed. Sheriam thanked him, alerted Mesaana, Egwene and the Sitters and went to the entrance hall.

She was glad it was Jahar who had come, even if this meant they would have to deal with Merise's other two Warders. She had not been able to attend the meeting at the camp, when Jahar had promised them the bonding of the Asha'man, but from what she heard about it later from Moria and other Sitters, Jahar seemed as sensible as any of the Asha'man she had met.

And she owed him; it had been after he noticed a man channeling in the camp that Halima had fled. Halima, who had demanded the impossible, and punished harshly when she failed to achieve it. She had been lucky to survive those times. She smiled briefly as she realized he would not see the turning as a way to return the favor at all, if he were asked now, quite the opposite in fact. But he would see different once it was done.

That reminded her of the slight concern she felt about Fager Neald, who had not brought anyone in yet. True, not all sisters they had turned had taken an active part in the taking of others either, but he had been assigned a specific task and he had seemed well capable of it. This morning made two full days since his turning, they should have heard from him by now. Well, first things first, Jahar was here, almost in their hands.

Several Aes Sedai had gathered in the large entrance hall, but she still spotted him easily, they kept a slight space around him as if afraid to actually touch a man who could channel. He stood at ease even among all the sisters, all of whom held Saidar. Unlike the Dragon his visit was expected and Sheriam had instructed the sisters not to shield him, but many had been unhappy with that order, and made it no secret they were ready to channel at a moment's notice. Merise stood next to him with several other Green sisters, Nethan and Bassane behind her.

The crowd parted for Sheriam and she greeted their visitors. Jahar first, then Merise. A stern woman, they had not been close friends but neither had they ever been at odds.

"Good to see you," Sheriam said. "Please follow me, the Hall is waiting for you both. And Nethan and Bassane, this is at least in part about bonding the Asha'man and I believe some of the sisters have questions about how it affects other Warders, too."

She turned and Jahar fell into step beside her, Merise on her other side. The two Warders -regular Warders- followed behind.

"It is good to see the Tower whole again," Merise said as they walked the halls.

"That it is," Sheriam agreed. "I am glad you could come."

"You did not seem in favor of contact with the Asha'man last time," Merise remarked.

Of course she would remember. Well Sheriam had counted on that.

"I was afraid it would make it more difficult to negotiate with Elaida and her Hall, if it came to that. The retaking of the Tower was my first priority at the time. Fortunately that is no longer an issue, Elaida and the Red are no longer a threat."

"The Lord Dragon said there were no Red Sitters when he was here, did the Red get ousted from the Hall?" Jahar asked.

"They were absent at the time, but they are not banned from the Hall. They are in attendance today, of course they will not bother you," she told him.

Jahar nodded. "The Dragon trusts the Amyrlin, so will I."

"She has the Tower well in hand," Sheriam said.

As they spoke, they had come to the Hall. Here too several Aes Sedai had gathered, hoping to hear what would be discussed, but unlike last time, this meeting of course would be sealed to the Hall.

She opened the great, carved doors and noticed all were in place. The full Hall was present, except for Kwamesa, the weakest, who was in her own rooms, out of sight. Mesaana had taken on her appearance and sat in the chair for the Brown. Egwene sat on the Amyrlin's seat, her Amyrlin stole around her shoulders, the new rose window behind her, the morning light flooding the room. It was an impressive sight, she thought approvingly.

As she held the door, she gestured at Jahar to continue into the room, towards the center of the Hall and the Amyrlin. Merise too followed, her two Warders remaining close behind her. She had frowned a little as she saw the glow of the Power around all the Sitters, but she had neither mentioned it nor taken hold of Saidar herself. The heavy doors were slow to move, and Jahar had reached the middle of the ornate, inlaid floor before the doors shut completely.

Mesaana instantly wove the flows of the wards, as would be Kwamesa's task, part of her strength masked as she drew no more of the Power than the Brown sister could. Then, even as Jahar bowed for Egwene, the Chosen tied off the flows of the ward and drew on Saidar with her full strength, through the sa'angreal she carried. She struck out with the shield and Sheriam channeled the stunning weaves at the same time.

Merise had barely time to look alarmed, and no time to grasp the Power, as she too was shielded and stunned by some of the Sitters. Others had struck out at Nethan and Bassane and the men sank to the floor. Egwene opened the gateway and they took their captives through to Malkier without a hitch. The entire Hall was really overkill for the taking of this group, but it was needed as a cover, the Aes Sedai who had not been turned yet would expect the Asha'man to meet with the Hall rather than with the Amyrlin and a select few alone.

The turning itself was quickly done and before long they sat in Egwene's study. Mesaana, Sheriam, Jahar, Merise and Egwene herself, who was present not because of her presumed position as Amyrlyn but because she knew al'Thor. The Hall had also returned and was hopefully making use of their time by discussing other Tower business, although Sheriam feared there would be a lot of time lost squabbling. Romanda and especially Lelaine showed the turning did not change one's character and too often a lot of time was wasted in meetings of the Hall, now as much as ever.

She was impressed by Jahar's strength. She knew the Asha'man was strong in the Power, but he was young, looked no older than the Dragon. Yet he was unfazed by the turning. When Mesaana had woken him, he had for the first moments fought like a lion against the shield, harder, so much harder than even Egwene had done. He had looked around, found Merise on one of the other tables, also sitting up, and Mesaana had held him back with new flows of Air. But as the Chosen ordered him to sit and listen, and he saw Merise being helped up from her table by some of the Sitters, he had listened with a deep frown on his face.

As the Chosen finished her explanation and released him completely, he got up and knelt.

"What is done is done. I pledge to serve to the best of my abilities, High Mistress." He had his voice and breathing fully under control and sounded calm as he spoke.

Since Mesaana had just explained the turning and he knew there would be no doubt about his allegiance, Sheriam thought his solemn pledge was more than a simple confirmation of his loyalty. From what she had heard, the Asha'man had been one of the Dragon's most trusted men, and it seemed that now he would go beyond what the turning required of him for them.

Jahar was far more calm than Merise, who for all her age and experience was stunned and distracted. Then she would have to deal with her other two Warders, who were still fast asleep in a corner of the Hall, watched over by some of the Sitters.

Mesaana asked about the Aes Sedai, Asha'man and other channelers close to him. There were many, and especially the Wise Ones were of concern. The Aes Sedai would not be too difficult to take. Egwene suggested letting the Dragon know of her Oath Rod test, something that would appeal to him and would almost certainly make him agree to send the full sisters under his control for a 'visit' to the new Amyrlin. But none of them could think of a reason to send for the Wise Ones. Jahar and Merise never met with one of them alone either. And there were those among the Wise Ones who could not channel, but were still as much involved with those sisters taken by al'Thor after Dumai Wells as those who could.

It was decided that Egwene would petition al'Thor to have the sisters taken at the Wells released into her custody, but Jahar was doubtful about the chances; even if al'Thor might consider it, the Wise Ones would be reluctant to let them go. Still it was worth a try. If AlThor refused, Egwene would still insist they were allowed to pay a 'visit' to be tested on the Oath Rod, and only those who had no Warder would be taken. Jahar, Merise and Egwene all agreed the Wise Ones were particularly perceptive and taking those with a Warder was a greater risk than leaving some of them unturned.

Jahar was confident they could take Damer and Corele, as well as Donalo and Welyn with their sisters, but he was not so sure about Logain. The man was not as often near al'Thor as the others, and also he did not always keep Gabrelle and Toveine with him. And most recently, Logain had been gone and Jahar did not know where to. Naeff had been with al'Thor but he had been sent off on an errand the previous day and was often away from Nelavaire as well.

Mesaana told him to keep alert for any opportunities but not to push for a private meeting with any one person in particular, not when doing so would raise eyebrows. They would not be able to turn everyone, it was more important to keep cover than to take every last individual.

There was also the difficulty of reporting in, while Jahar would Travel to take those he had to, he could never stay away long as the situation currently stood. The Dragon had been reluctant to let him go to the Tower even this morning. However when Jahar heard of the trouble they'd had at the Black Tower, he had a suggestion.

"I will ask for permission to go to the Black Tower and report back here regularly. I know the bonding is off but he does not. As far as the Lord Dragon is concerned, since I was the one to make the agreement with the Hall, it is my responsibility to see it is kept."

"He will allow you time away from your other duties for that?" Mesaana asked.

"It's what I would have wanted if there had been no turning. He may not like it, but I believe he will understand."

Egwene nodded agreement. "Rand always was the responsible one, always finishing his chores before play, even if Mat tried to convince him otherwise. I expect he will agree to let Jahar deal with the bonding of the Asha'man, rather than assigning someone else to the task."

Mesaana looked pleased. She instructed Jahar about the turnings, showing him the place in Malkier even though she did not yet entrust him with the key to the Dreamspike. He could still get the bearings of the place without actually being able to open the gateway from here. She also told him to work with Mezar and any of the newly turned Asha'man on his cover at the Black Tower. Then, she asked him for a detailed report on al'Thor's recent activities.

Jahar and Merise told in detail, some what they already knew, like the attack on Graendal's palace and the meeting with the Seanchan Empress, but some was news to them. Sheriam was shocked to learn of the Shadowspawn's attack on Maradon. She had rarely been to the capital but Saldaea was her homeland. And the level of strength he had displayed was awe-inspiring, too. Even Mesaana frowned as Jahar told them how the Dragon had dealt with the shadowspawn.

"Perhaps he really is both," the Chosen said thoughtfully. "Lews Therin and Rand al'Thor. It shouldn't happen of course, even one who is reborn has the body, the physical strength and the strength in the Power of one man while he is alive. One man can hold the knowledge, the memories, of others, but not double the physical abilities. Or at least, so I thought."

"I did have a feeling he could have broken through the shield, last week," Egwene remarked.

"I still doubt that," Mesaana replied. "It was held by two full circles. Even if he is both, it should have held him. But a single circle, he may have broken through. It is something to remember, when the time comes we will need have more than thirteen to take him."

"He is not invulnerable," Sheriam said, thinking of his missing hand.

"No, he is not. He has been held before, but he has gained in strength since. I wish Moridin's orders were not so strict about leaving him untouched until the very last. Moridin believes the confrontation must be at Shayol Ghul, according to prophesy, but I don't. Prophesies have been made by both sides, each interpreting the signals in their own way. Even a Foretelling or a Sighting may be thwarted with some effort, or more often it will be woven into the Pattern, almost what was foreseen but warped in a slightly different way than originally intended. Take the Dragon now and he can still do what needs to be done at Shayol Ghul, only under our command."

"What he did at Maradon makes no difference to Moridin?" Jahar wondered.

Mesaana shook her head. "I'm sure he knows. It was likely Moridin's doing, razing random cities like that is his way. His orders are still the same. No, we will take as many of those around him as we can, but we will have to leave al'Thor for the time being. Find out as much as you can about his plans, that is all."

Jahar nodded. "I will, High Mistress."

At that, they returned to the Hall, where Lelaine was so intend on her arguing with Romanda that she did not notice the gateway until they had all stepped through and Mesaana allowed it to close. With a squeak, she cut off her argument and apologized profusely.

The Chosen ignored her, continuing with the tasks at hand. She told the Hall briefly what Jahar had told them and what his cover would be -as much as they needed to know to keep up appearances and make it seem as if Jahar had met with the entire Hall all along. Then she left using a gateway. Kwamesa had Traveled in for the regular meeting and there was no need for Mesaana to resume the disguise and walk out through the doors.

Sheriam told Malind to help Merise with the Warders, the Green Sitter had been unhappy when she was taken but had her own Warders well under control, Sheriam had seen them several times over the past days and not noticed anything seriously wrong about them. The two men were woken up and soon Merise had them compelled and ready to leave.

All that done, she walked them back to the Traveling grounds. Even though the meeting had been sealed to the Hall and had taken some time, a number of sisters hung around outside hoping to hear at least some of what had been discussed from the Sitters. Well, that was for them to deal with. Sheriam saw Jahar and Merise off and returned to her anteroom for the day's business.

-0-

There was just time to look over the morning's reports before it was High, and time to attend to Elaida's execution.

The Traitor's Court was full, even more so than when the Black sisters had been executed. More than a few people from the city had come to see the one-time Amyrlin die, and as Sheriam looked over the packed crowd, she saw a handful black-coated Dedicated with their Aes Sedai. Carniele, Desandre, Wende, Nenya and Tonni, none of them a Red. She did not know the names of the men. They stood with the townsfolk and other people from outside the Tower, and no matter how crowded it was, there was a small open space between them and the rest of the onlookers. The men may not have been seen here in Tar Valon before, word had spread and the people knew who, and what, they were.

Once again she took her place next to Egwene, in front of the full Hall, to watch the execution take place. Behind her, several Sitters stirred and shifted their feet uneasily. Those were the ones who had sat in Elaida's Hall, Javrindhra, Memara and Barasine of the Red. Javrindhra had kept her position, as Sheriam had expected.

Apart from them, there were few Red in attendance. Many felt Elaida's execution was their shame as well, and even now, only the higher among the Black knew Elaida had been set up on Mesaana's orders. Not that that knowledge made it much better for those of the Black who had remained here in Tar Valon, for Elaida had proven far harder to control than expected. So much harder even than Egwene, for while she had to admit at least to herself that the young woman had been very difficult, she had been brought under control, something that couldn't be said of Elaida.

As all were gathered, Elaida was led out into the courtyard. She still wore the grey damane dress she had arrived in the previous day. She looked thin and haggard and her face was puffy, her eyes red. She was in chains, even though there really was little risk of escape. A guardsman flanked her on either side and Dawn had followed her as far as the door leading from the Tower into the square. But such was the custom of all who were condemned, and the chains clanked as a hush fell over the crowd.

Egwene used the Power to raise her voice.

"The Tower is whole again and all Ajahs stand together against the Shadow. As the Hall shows, I did not spurn those who remained in Tar Valon during the split. However Elaida do Avriny a'Roihan is a different case. Not only was she the leader of those who overthrew the reign of Siuan Sanche, her crimes went beyond that. While the Amyrlin should be of all Ajahs and none, aiming to smooth their differences, she actually banned an entire Ajah and caused strife between those who remained behind. She ignored all reports and intelligence and sent a group of sisters and Tower guard out on a mission against the Black Tower that could have cost them all their lives.

"She misappropriated funds, splurging on her own selfish desires at a time when the Tower can least afford it. She made the people of the city who should look to the Tower for advise avoid it instead. She in her madness did more harm to the Tower than can be forgiven. She will pay for those crimes with her life, so all, including those of the Red, can move forward and, no, not forget, but remember and make sure nothing like this ever happens again.

"Elaida do Avriny a'Roihan, may the Light have mercy on your soul."

Egwene had been concerned she would not be able to speak with as much conviction as she had before, and she had kept her speech short. But in spite of her youth, Sheriam thought she did well. Her voice had rung out clear, the words coming strong and without hesitation. The woman picked up skills in deception as quick as she learned almost anything else. And now everyone's attention was on Elaida, who, at a signal of Egwene, was led towards the block.

The headsman was the same who had beheaded the first group of the Black sisters, a strong, bulky man of the Tower guard. Chubain picked his men carefully for the task, ensuring a quick execution. Sheriam had seen an execution once, many years ago in Bandar Eban, where the headsman needed four strikes to take off the convicted man's head. While some of the crowd -quite a large part of it, rough folk from the port district- had gone wild and cheered at the victim's distress, she had considered it a barbarian display. Executions may be necessary at times, there was no need to drag it out.

Elaida had been a proud woman, once, tall and stern, but the Seanchan had changed that before Sheriam's sentence did. She sobbed and stumbled as she was led forward, finally falling to her knees before actually reaching the block, so that the guardsmen had to pull her forward for the remaining span. The compulsion that kept her from speaking about the illegal manner in which she had been sentenced could be used to numb her panic as well, but Sheriam's compassion did not go that far. Elaida would get the punishment she deserved, no more, but no less either. She watched with hard eyes as the guardsman raised his axe and struck down.

A stir ran through the crowd as Elaida's head fell to the cobbles and her body slumped down behind the block, a few cheers but mostly gasps and shudders.

There had not been any executions for years, and now so many in a row, first the Black sisters, then the Warders and the families caught in town, the Seanchan Bloodknife and now Elaida. Each time the crowd had reacted differently; with the Black, there had been awed silence. The knowledge the Black was real -something which had been denied for so long- and the sheer number, fifteen sisters, had hushed the crowd. Many had known the sisters, and were either outraged at their allegiance or stunned in shock and disbelief.

Then later that day the Warders and the Friends of the Dark, grimmer even since those watching had been the ones closest to them. The Seanchan's execution, the previous day, had been completely different. An outsider and an assassin, she had been treated as a common criminal, she had been led out to jeers and catcalls, and when her head had rolled on the cobbles there had been a general cheer and applause. And now Elaida. When a leader was executed, a King, Queen or Amyrlin, no matter what their crimes, there was always a sense of awe among the populace, something that made them uneasy. Even those who had hated her most were reluctant to cheer, and those who had come to see one of the mighty fall also dared not show their relish too much, not when so many others who held high positions were watching.

"Now we can truly leave the split of the Tower behind us," Egwene said, her voice once again raised by the Power, not as much as before but just enough to be heard even by those at the very back of the crowd. "Let us move forward as one, stronger than ever for our experience, to meet the forces of the Dark."

Meet the forces of the Dark indeed they would, and join them. And the Tower truly was united, more so than ever before. Sheriam allowed herself to smile, even as Egwene finished her short speech and sound rose up again as the crowd slowly started to move away.

For the fourth time Sheriam watched as the body was taken away, the blood washed from the marble. The servants, who the first time had looked shaken, now looked mostly weary at their task. And in spite of their efforts, the marble in the center of the square remained slightly discolored, the porous stone soaking up the blood. If it had been just Elaida and the Seanchan Bloodknife, she would have left it, but it was also the blood of the Black sisters and their Warders, and she made a mental note to send one of the sisters out to clean it with the Power even as she walked back to her anteroom.

-0-

Jahar and Merise proved their worth when they brought in Damer and Corele late that evening. Sheriam had already been getting ready for bed when the message reached her. The Dragon had also agreed to send the sisters over for an 'audience with the new Amyrlin', the day after tomorrow. She smiled, the deception was so easy, especially coming from one who was trusted. Egwene had been a good choice after all. And they had been lucky with Jahar, or perhaps it had been logic rather than luck -it made sense the Dragon would send an emissary he believed he could rely on. The Dragon had also agreed to let Jahar oversee the agreement with the Black Tower was held, reluctantly, but his sense of duty had won out. Just like Egwene had thought it would.

As she unbuttoned her dress and brushed her hair she went over the list of sisters who were with al'Thor. They would get the Sitters involved, and some others from their Ajahs, to help in the taking and to keep the others busy, to take those who were most stunned apart for a 'chat' to give them time to get themselves together before returning them to the Dragon and the Wise Ones.

And there had to be at least one who was found to be Black Ajah, if not two, for it was inconceivable there would not be at least one Black sister who had placed herself near the Dragon. Not Fera or Nalaene of course, they would pass the presumed test and return to Cairhien. How to catch another sister and make her disappear, rather than having her executed like the fifteen who were caught before they had taken Egwene? Apparently the Dragon was far more reluctant to execute women, perhaps that could be useful. Would Merise be able to steer him so he would order any Black held rather than executed? No, that was risky, better Egwene could claim to want to learn more about what the Black had done, and of course insist on holding her here at the Tower rather than entrusting her to the Dragon's care. It would mean imprisonment for the unfortunate sister who was picked for the task but that couldn't be helped, and it was only for a short while. Yes, that would be a feasible plan, she would suggest it to Mesaana in the morning.


	16. Ta'veren and other difficulties

**Ta'veren and other difficulties.**

Sheriam felt as if she had only just laid down to sleep when she woke to an urgent rapping on the door. Covering herself with a cloak, she opened to find one of Chubain's men, looking harried.

"The Asha'man is here, he needs to speak to you," the man said.

"Jahar?" Sheriam asked sharply.

"No, Keeper, the other one, Fager Neald is his name."

Neald, of course. She told the man to bring the Asha'man to her anteroom and hurriedly threw on her clothes. She pinned the Well in her hair just in case, but did not take the time to brush it or wash, sensing that a visit at this time would be urgent. She channeled, stepped through into her room just as the guardsman, who had to walk the halls, arrived with Fager Neald.

"Aes Sedai." The Ashaman bowed cordially as he entered, but as the guardsman left and the door closed behind him, he dropped down further and knelt, and Sheriam knew whatever report he had was not good.

"What do you have?" she asked shortly. She did not tell him to rise, wanted to hear his failure and his reasons first.

"I apologize for disturbing you at this time of the night," Fager said. "I have tried to take those who can channel as you ordered, but I can't, it's Aybara, he is just so strong ta'veren. Anything, everything I try, whenever I get someone alone, something happens, from mundane stuff like an urgent message to the ridiculous like a perfectly strong, brand new tent line snapping in two. I tried several times with each person, but I am running out of ideas and they are starting to look at me askance when I ask them to join me for some other trivial matter."

Sheriam looked at the man in front of her. In spite of his youth, he had seemed capable enough when he had come here before, when he had been taken, and Nynaeve had also described him as a sensible young man. And she knew from what she had been told that Aybara was strong ta'veren and considered very dangerous. This was not a case of simple incompetence.

"I'm calling Mesaana," she decided.

Fager grew pale and inhaled sharply, of course he knew the Chosen did not take failure lightly. Sheriam did not reassure him, it was the middle of the night and even though Mesaana had been more reasonable lately, she would not be pleased. But there was no helping it, Sheriam knew she could not handle this alone. She channeled into the Call rod.

Despite the hour, Mesaana arrived quickly. She listened as Sheriam explained the problem, and only then turned to Fager, who was still kneeling.

"Tell me everything about these incidents. Every one of them, every detail."

Fager did so, and Mesaana listened, frowning.

"It shouldn't be like this," she said. "It should be more random. The tugging at the Pattern protects the ta'veren, yes, but in a more direct manner, that it also seems to protect those around him is disconcerting. I knew Aybara was dangerous but it is even worse than I though."

She gestured to Fager, "You may take a seat while Sheriam and I decide what to do."

With one more deep bow, the Asha'man stood and then sat on one of the visitor chairs. Mesaana sighed and was silent for several long moments, while Sheriam waited for her to speak.

"Strictly speaking, we don't have to make a move against him," she said finally. "There is the standing order to kill him as well as Mat Cauthon if possible, and the promise of reward, but nothing more specific. Taking the entire Tower as well as a good number of the men is a major task and if I do not go after him, it will not count as an absolute failure. But neither will it look good if it seems we let an opportunity slip. And most important of all, do we dare leave him alive?"

"Al'Thor shouldn't take him to Shayol Ghul itself," Sheriam said. As long as they won there, managed to free the Great Lord, that was the most important.

"He should not, should only take those who can channel there," Mesaana agreed. "But wherever Aybara will be, it will be costly for those who engage him."

She paused.

"If he were anyone else, I would send the lady Shiaine after him, I checked and she has an impressive record. But I'm afraid she would not stand a chance against Aybara. It would have to be someone who can channel, for what little protection the link with the Great Lord provides."

She did not even name Fager as an option, it was obvious that using him would risk their entire operation. Those around him would certainly recall the Asha'man's behavior had changed immediately after his visit to the Tower, if he were to kill or attempt to kill Aybara.

"Could a Black sister do it?" Sheriam wondered. "Karale or Melvara perhaps, so there would be no obvious link to us?"

Mesaana considered this. "Their names should not be known in Aybara's camp, either one of them could claim to come from Egwene, then afterwards anyone here would be able to tell that she had fled the Tower at the time of the testing with the binder. But apart from that, I'm afraid whoever we would send would run into the same problems as Fager here. If she manages to get near him at all, she will get one chance only and I'm afraid that will not be enough." The Chosen paused, then took a deep breath. "We may have to bring him here."

Sheriam felt a chill inside her. Of course they could use Egwene to summon him, make up an excuse why she absolutely had to meet with him. He would probably come. But to bring a ta'veren of his strength here, into the Tower!

"Isn't that a great risk?" she said.

"It is," Mesaana admitted. "But here we will have more opportunity, will have him, and only him, among all of us. It is our best chance."

"Except he will die here, in the Tower. How do we explain that?" Sheriam asked.

"There are ways around that," Mesaana said. "Even if it were a genuine visit, he would have to Travel back to the camp from outside the Dreamspike's influence, and we can put a Mirror of Mists on another to make it seem he has left the Tower unharmed. It has been done before, not all who went over to the Great Lord did so openly even during the War. It will take careful planning, but it can be done, and the risk of the cover plans being thwarted is minimal, once the blacksmith is dead."

Yes, once he was dead. Sheriam could see Mesaana was far from happy with the risk she proposed taking, either. But it had to be done.

Mesaana was thinking hard, speaking as she worked out the plans.

"Fager will Travel with him a point inside the city and ride to the Tower gates. Sheriam, I would like you to meet him there. I can put an extra ward on you, here where no one who isn't ours can sense it. It won't stop all of his influence, but it should help some. Then you bring him here, and I will deal with him myself. Even a ta'veren isn't invulnerable, and once we have him here, we should be able to kill him. The hardest part will be getting him to come."

"Egwene and Nynaeve should know best what will convince him to come," Sheriam said. They would hate having to be a part in the plans at all, but there was no helping it. She would make sure they understood Aybara was a great enough risk that the turning would ensure they did what had to be done, like it or not.

"There will be a dozen little things that can stop him from coming," Mesaana said. "But a ta'veren's influence isn't always straightforward, isn't always beneficial. We will use the fact that he trusts the two girls, and lead him to believe any incidents are caused by the Great Lord's touch on the Pattern, trying to keep him from this important meeting."

The Chosen turned to Fager. "Now don't overdo it with that suggestion. In fact, since people may have been noticing your behavior, leave that part up to us. I will make the summons from Egwene include something to make Aybara expect resistance, perhaps a claim that something similar has happened when she tried to meet with the Cauthon boy. I understand the two rarely get in touch, are not using the opportunities Travel provides."

"I understand, Great One," Fager acknowledged with a bow.

"Now get back to the blacksmith's camp before you are missed. We work out the rest here," she dismissed him.

The Asha'man stood and bowed deep, even as Mesaana channeled and opened a gateway for him to Travel out from under the Dreamspike's sphere of influence. He would have to skim the last bit unless Travel was very different for men -Sheriam realized she wasn't even sure about that- but it would still be quicker than if he had to walk off the Tower grounds.

"Just a boy," Mesaana said, shaking her head as she let the gateway close. "Soldiers of course were young but even at the worst of times I never had to rely on boys his age for any important operations."

This time Mesaana was not just referring to the Asha'man's lack of training in the One Power. The Asha'man was young, she'd say seventeen, or eighteen at most. Not that Aybara was that much older, he, Mat Cauthon and the Dragon were only twenty-one, Egwene was just nineteen, but at that age a couple years could make a lot of difference. She too would prefer someone a little older at least, but they had no choice, Fager had been the one sent by Aybara and was their only link to him, for now.

Mesaana stood. "In the morning, you will call Nynaeve up here. I will work with the two girls to write a summons that will bring Aybara to us. We will work on the cover in the afternoon, I mean to get Moghedien's help on that, she is the expert. Also, right after breakfast, get the turned Green sisters to work on those who have Warders. I've watched Malind and Myrelle and they have their Warders well under control. I believe we've reached the point where letting those with a Warder go free is a greater risk than taking them, especially with a ta'veren coming to the Tower."

Sheriam nodded. "Yes, High Mistress."

Mesaana Traveled and so did she, going back to her rooms and back to sleep.

-0-

Egwene and Nynaeve, naturally, were quite upset when told what they would have to do. Sheriam understood their grief but firmly put down any suggestions Aybara could be taken by other means. It took some convincing, Nynaeve gripping and pulling her braid in frustration and Egwene with tears streaming down her face, and Sheriam was glad she'd had the foresight to call the two girls in early, to give her time to prepare before Mesaana would arrive. Finally, what helped as much as anything was the fact that even though she was Amyrlin in name only, Egwene still felt responsible for the Tower and the Aes Sedai, and she too realized any confrontation on the battlefield was likely to be costly indeed.

As Mesaana arrived and Sheriam took care of some of the other Tower business in her anteroom, not for the first time she missed having an assistant she could trust. This morning she could handle any visitors herself, but she would have preferred to leave someone here to keep the unturned out for the afternoon, when she herself would be gone. Egwene of course realized the importance of keeping up appearances, and she did have the hard Aiel training, but in such a personal matter it would be difficult to pretend nothing was wrong. Well, she would have to manage.

Mesaana returned after Dinner, and they Traveled to Malkier. They checked on the circles first. Several were active, turning both the men from the Black Tower and the Aes Sedai who held a bond. Some of the sisters were grouped off to the side, where Marind was advising them how to handle their Warders. The men were turned by the Aes Sedai, with only one man in each circle, since Demandred had not shared the male version of the weave. Still they had enough who could lead, enough who could fill the circles.

As all was well, they left the shattered building and crossed the large, rubble-strewn square. Jeaine met them at the entrance to the building which Moghedien and Cyndane had appropriated. She clearly knew who Mesaana was, as she knelt the moment she recognized the Chosen. Then, at Mesaana's request, she led the two of them inside.

Here more had been cleaned up and repaired than on the outside. There was no trace of dust left, and all cracks in the inner walls had been sealed. Tapestries hung on the walls and the floor tiles were scrubbed. More than a few rooms had been made habitable and the place looked comfortable and clean. Coming to a large, ornate door, Jeaine knocked, then went in and knelt as she announced the visitors to Moghedien.

Sheriam followed Mesaana in, curtsied deep to the other Chosen, then like last time rose and stood with Mesaana.

Moghedien sat at a writing desk in a sparsely furnished room, which otherwise only contained a few chairs and a mostly empty book case, and a fireplace, empty now in summer time. The furniture was whole and rubbed to a shine, but mismatched, likely had been taken from the ruins and selected on the state of each piece, rather than any consideration of how well they went together. And besides Moghedien's desk, Siuan and Leane knelt.

Sheriam had thought of the possibility of encountering them here, and prepared, managed to show no outward emotion. But it took an effort. Both sisters wore a short linen shift, which only covered their torso and upper legs, and the exposed skin showed numerous welts. They were crouched on their knees, head bent to the floor, a posture that had to be extremely uncomfortable to keep up. Neither had moved even a muscle as Jeaine announced them.

"What do you want?" Moghedien asked. She sounded suspicious. It was clear the Chosen did not like to work together, the more Sheriam saw of how they acted among one another, the more she understood why the turning had been used only sparingly before, why Mesaana had only increased their numbers as a last resort. Not that Aes Sedai were that much different, she admitted to herself, they just tended to be less obvious about it.

Mesaana was not put off by Moghedien's cool welcome. "I have need of your expertise. I mean to kill the blacksmith, and I could use your help with the cover-up, so his army does not learn the Tower is mine."

"And what's in it for me?" Moghedien asked. She still sounded suspicious, but there was also a hint of eagerness in her voice.

"A chance to redeem yourself, at least to some degree," Mesaana replied. "I've noticed the jewelry Moridin wears, I can not promise he will let you have it but your aid in getting rid of Aybara, even only the aftermath, will be of some help."

Moghedien frowned, but only for a moment. Then she got up from her desk with a brisk movement. "Fine, let's sit down and talk about it."

The Chosen turned towards the chairs, which stood grouped together on the other side of the room. Mesaana took one and sat down, and so did Sheriam, waiting until both Chosen sat first. Moghedien frowned as she took a seat, but Mesaana cut off her comment.

"Sheriam knows the city and the people. I value her input."

Moghedien gave a small shrug. Her expression was one of distaste but she did not argue. Instead she snapped her fingers at Siuan and Leane. "Tea."

"Yes, High Mistress," both replied instantly. They lifted their head but kept their eyes downcast as they crawled forward. Were they not even allowed to walk upright? Apparently not, for while Siuan only crossed a little distance, coming to a halt between the two Chosen, where she remained on hands and knees, Leane left the room, still crawling.

Mesaana did not even glance at the two as she explained in a few words what she needed, and Moghedien listened, her expression quickly changing to one of interest.

Then Leane returned, carrying a tray with tea pot and cups. She put the tray down on Siuan's back as on a living table, her face anguished but not a sound crossed her lips. Then she poured teach for all of them, and Sheriam accepted her cup impassionedly, as if handed to her by any other servant.

As they all had their tea, Moghedien made her suggestions. She named weaves Sheriam did not know, but Mesaana explained. Weaves that seemed to be deadly lightning but were harmless, which had at one time been used in something called the theater, where people acted out stories instead of merely telling or singing them. Such weaves could be used to fend off the attackers, to put up a good show, while allowing those attacking to get away unscathed. Other weaves could be used to hold the Mirror of Mists even after death, where a normal weave would dissipate.

Moghedien brought up the possibility of setting off attacks in other places as well, but fortunately Mesaana disagreed. It had to be a targeted attack on Aybara, as it would be far more unbelievable for a ta'veren to be caught in a random assault.

As the plan took shape, Sheriam suggested the best suitable location. Moghedien frowned, but Sheriam managed to keep calm, and as Mesaana took her recommendations, Moghedien did too.

Last of all the tasks were assigned, and Moghedien insisted on being part of the assault force herself. Mesaana was clearly reluctant but eventually gave in, allowing her to lead the attack on 'Aybara'. The others would be Karale, Melvara and Evanellein, all exposed as Black Ajah. None should be caught but they would be recognized by the townspeople, would even show themselves on purpose so it was clear it was not anyone still openly living in the Tower attacking. Others would be posted nearby, Talva, Sedore, Alinya and Birlen, sisters who would be within hearing distance of the commotion and thus would be first on the scene, preventing the few who were not yet theirs from discovering the Mirror of Mists.

When Mesaana was satisfied with the plan, she rose and they took their leave. Moghedien would instruct the sisters who would have to learn the weaves the next day.

Even as they got up, Moghedien ordered Siuan and Leane back to their place next to her desk, then drove them their with lashes of Air even though the pair moved as quickly as they could. Once back in Tar Valon, Sheriam could no longer suppress a sigh.

"Siuan and Leane's treatment bothers you," Mesaana said.

"Yes," Sheriam admitted. She chided herself for losing control, she should not get so comfortable around Mesaana. But denying it would be worse. She added, "they held her leashed, but they never went that far."

Mesaana looked at her. The Chosen hadn't yet changed her appearance, and her blue eyes shone hard. "No, because Siuan is too practical for that, and they needed her to function as Marigan. If it hadn't been for that…"

Sheriam frowned slightly. She knew Siuan could be hard, the woman wouldn't have tortured anyone that bad, would she?

"They wouldn't do that to you or any of the Black. But Moghedien, or me?" Mesaana continued, her voice bitter. "According to those who fight for the Light, we are monsters, no longer human. Now maybe Moridin has been affected by the True Power to a point where he is not all human anymore, and Aginor, some of his experiments affected him too, but that is only the two of them. The rest of us are human, even Sammael and Semirhage, ruthless as they could be. There have been ruthless, sadistic people who claimed to fight on the side of the Light too, in my Age and in this one. It is mostly because we were imprisoned with the Great Lord, that the tales grew and we have become legendary monsters. To many that makes us not worth even the least consideration that one would give any other enemy, any other prisoner. I'm not sure Siuan would have been different."

Sheriam nodded slowly. She did not think Siuan would get enjoyment out of any kind of torture, but if she'd thought it had a purpose, she would have gone far beyond what she'd have done to any other. And Egwene, Egwene had been so definite in stating when told Elaida was likely taken by the Seanchan that 'no one' deserved that -yet she had held the a'dam on Moghedien. She said so to Mesaana.

"See?" Mesaana replied. "Those on the side of the Light often do such things. Lews Therin holds this silly notion against killing women, and yet he ordered the attacks on Tal'Eir and Gheshain. Cities larger than Tar Valon, and both were mostly destroyed. Did he think there were no women, no families living there? Yes, they were my people, many who worked to supply my armies with clothes, tents, vehicles, weapons, and their children would have grown up to join my army. But they were people. I've attacked their cities, and I can't say to the nearest thousand how many people I've killed let alone ordered killed, but I've never felt the need to pretend they were not human."

Sheriam understood the Chosen's bitterness. It had been this hypocrisy that had strengthened her resolve to fight for the Great Lord before the turning had. She had her doubts about the whole 'Light' and 'Dark' anyhow. In the White Tower library there was a secret section, more secret than the knowledge passed on to each Amyrlin only, some shelves warded and guarded by the Black. And only the Council could access it. But she was on the Council, and she had read the fragments saved from ancient stories. Stories that named the Great Lord not as a total opposite of the Creator, but as a similar being, perhaps a senior servant or assistant to him. There had been a conflict, a falling out, and the Great Lord had lost. And as always, the winner was made the good guy and the loser the bad guy, and the more time passed the more established their roles became.

With a grimace, Mesaana returned to the business at hand. "Notify those who will report to Moghedien tomorrow," she instructed. "I will take care of delivering the message to Aybara. I expect resistance there too, but it should be possible to ensure he gets it. Tonight, we will finalize our plans for the sisters with al'Thor."

Sheriam acknowledged, and as Mesaana Traveled directly from her anteroom, she sent off a summons to the Black sisters. Then she went in to check on Egwene, but she did not mention seeing Siuan and Leane.

Egwene was still clearly having a hard time with the entire situation, and Sheriam decided to send her from the Tower when Aybara came. She would know better than to interrupt anything, but her emotions were strong and with Aybara so strong ta'veren, Sheriam did not want to test the limits of the turning, any more than she knew Mesaana did. It would be safer to send Egwene to Malkier, well away from Aybara's influence.

-0-

After checking on Egwene and going over the reports and messages that had been brought in during her absence, Sheriam called the Council together. She wanted their opinions on the sisters who were with al'Thor. Some of them she knew well, but others less so. Fortunately, even though they still had none from the Red on the Council, there were those who had been at least a bit closer to the sisters who had tried to take al'Thor captive. With their help, she came up with two she would propose to Mesaana to be caught as Black Ajah.

This discussion made clear more than anything that the Council was lacking anyone from the Red, as well as the Green. With Evanellein and Marillin, at least the Grey and the Brown were represented, but they had been gone during the past weeks. And it was they who addressed the issue, but Sheriam readily agreed to replace the missing sisters.

Dawn, Kerryn and Nesita were obvious choices, proving their worth repeatedly since Verin's attempt at betrayal. Margory had also earned herself a place as she watched over Tiana's charges while in Salidar and on the road to Tar Valon, but Sheriam was less certain about the last position. If she spread the positions among the Ajahs evenly, it'd have to be a Red or a Brown, although this was not absolutely required. Alviarin had favored her own Ajah when she had replaced Janya with Leesa, when she had been appointed as Ajah Head. The only other Red besides Nesita who had stood out was Silviana, and from the Brown Saerin had done rather more than the turning required, but they were turned, and not Black Ajah yet. That, however, had been another thing they needed to discuss.

The Black, now, was no longer simply the Ajah of all who followed the Great Lord. And conversely, almost all among the Black were still dedicated to their assumed Ajah as well; like Sedore and Dagdara who would always be Healers, Dawn and Kerryn who would be the first to guard or do battle.

They talked it over and quickly agreed the Black would now be for those who came to them voluntarily and those who showed great dedication even if they did have to be turned. Positions of influence would be filled by the Black even more than before, naturally.

With the information from the Council, Sheriam made a selection for al'Thor's sisters, and Mesaana readily accepted her plan. Then the Chosen instructed her as to the dealings with Cadsuane, and her ter'angreal set, far more extensive and dangerous than Nynaeve's had been. Not as great as risk as the taking of Aybara, Cadsuane was not to be taken lightly. Only when Mesaana was sure of the plan, they went off to their respective quarters to get a good night's rest before the taking of al'Thor's sisters.

-0-

Graendal looked at the prickly straw in dismay, and shuddered, but not a sound of complaint crossed her lips. She would not make that mistake again in a hurry.

It had been the previous evening, just before supper. She's been cutting the vegetables, who knew a Myrddraal even ate vegetables, or required a decent, cooked meal? She had been tired, sitting down no matter how much her behind and thighs hurt on the hard wooden chair, but even so she could barely keep herself from swaying. The straw in their small sleeping den was lumpy, the rough blanket pricked against her scalded skin and even after she had washed it still smelled faintly of horse, she hadn't slept at all since she'd arrived here. The carrots cut, she'd gotten up, and without thinking had put everything, butt ends and all, into the pot on the stove. Verin had seen what she did and called out a warning, just too late.

"Graendal, please be careful, he will punish us both," the woman had chided her.

And even as she started to fish for the bad bits, she'd burst out, "I'm just so tired. I told you I couldn't sleep on that blasted sorry excuse for a _bed_!"

She couldn't die of exhaustion, she knew her immortality hadn't been taken from her, but she was on the verge of passing out. Gritting her teeth, she turned back to the pot and fished for another carrot end.

"Unhappy with the sleeping arrangements, I hear?"

She froze, the dry, crumbling voice chilling her to the bone. Then she whirled around and dropped to her knees.

"No, High Master, forgive me," she started, but she knew it was useless, knew he had heard.

"Then perhaps you won't mind joining me tonight at Full. I assure you my bed is soft and the linen clean."

She knew that, she'd had to make his bed herself that morning. And even then she'd remembered Verin's words and hoped against hope that she'd never have to lay there. And now, so soon. She felt her mouth go dry and she had to lick her lips before replying.

"Yes, High Master."

Without another word he turned and left.

Verin looked at her with hard eyes. Graendal still didn't know who Verin was, or how she had ended up here. The state her hands were in made it likely she too had failed the Great Lord in some way, but it was also possible Shaidar Haran had simply picked her up at random when he had decided he needed a servant, and had done that to make her cooperate.

She could feel Verin's ability to channel, far less than hers although not too weak compared to most who called themselves Aes Sedai in this Age, and of course she was not allowed to touch Saidar here any more than she was. The woman did not have the ageless look, but somehow she still acted like she was Tower trained, she certainly did not look like an Aiel or Sea Folk. One of those Kin perhaps, from the South?

She could simply ask, they had plenty of time to talk during their work or at the times of rest, there was little work for the two of them, and Shaidar Haran had not forbidden them to speak. But she was reluctant to do so, to make even the slightest approach. She was -had been- one of the Chosen, and whatever Verin had been, she could not truly see her as an equal. Never mind that Verin often had to give her instructions, not because she stood higher but because she had been here longer and knew what Shaidar Haran required. Knew more of how to cook, too, especially using a primitive stove like this, and without using the One Power. Graendal had cooked her own meals before she had joined the Great Lord, but she'd had both Saidar and a selection of appliances like a fast cooker, chopper, and other things no one in this Age had even heard of. So she had to let Verin direct her for now, but she would not get friendly. Verin did not seem to be inclined to do so either, which suited her well.

Biting her lip, Graendal pushed herself up from the floor, picked up the spoon she had dropped on the stove top, and went back to retrieving the carrot ends. She made sure she fished out every piece, the last thing she needed was more punishment.

She ate nothing that night. She felt dizzy and weak but she remembered all too well what he'd done when she had thrown up two days ago, when he had taken her captive, and she did not care to repeat the experience. After washing the pots and dishes she sat at the kitchen table and dozed until Full, fear of being late keeping her from falling asleep completely. Verin went to bed without a word and Graendal wished she could join her, the straw and rough blanket seeming not so bad anymore.

Cold fear clenching her stomach, she got up and walked to Shaidar Haran's room. The door opened by itself, to show Shaidar Haran himself laying in bed, leaning on one elbow as he watched her come in. She knelt as soon as she was inside and bowed her head.

"Ah yes, Graendal," Shaidar Haran said. "Nicely on time, but I had expected no different. Stand up."

She stood, shaking, trying hard to keep her breathing under control.

"Now as to your complaint about the bed. I am sure many of your own prisoners and servants did not have as much, did they?"

She shook her head. Most times she had not provided them with any kind of bed or blanket at all, just the bare floor. But that had been different, hadn't it?

"To make you appreciate my generosity, tomorrow night you will do without the blanket, and lay directly on the straw. Furthermore, there is a briar bush out front, and nettles growing around the dung heap next to the stables. One more complaint about your bed and you will add a liberate amount of both to the straw. Is that understood?"

"Yes, Great One," she replied quickly, almost relieved. When he had started about the brambles, she'd feared he would make her pick them already.

"Now, take off your clothes and join me," he ordered, even as he threw his blanket back, exposing all his pasty, pale body.

Graendal bit back a sob as she pulled the rough dress, then the shift, over her head. When he had taken her from her hiding place, he hadn't asked, had simply torn off her clothes with the True Power, discarding them as rags. But he wouldn't do that now, not when he had provided her clothes in the first place. She promised herself she would not complain about those, not ever. What would he do then, make her stuff her shift with nettles or make her go naked completely, so his eyeless gaze would be on her all the time whenever he was in the room? Letting her clothes fall to the floor, she made herself step forward and get into the bed beside him.

She wasn't sure what was the worse. His cold touch all over her body, his gaze up so close, while he forbade her to close her eyes or look away, or the liquid fire as whatever kind of seed a Myrddraal had burned her insides as if it were pure acid. Perhaps the worst of all had been that when he was done, and he had told her to rest, she had actually fallen asleep, from pure exhaustion had actually slept, right there, next to him.

And now she was looking at another sleepless night. Her skin was less painful than it had been, but it was still sensitive, and she had more than a few fresh scratches from Shaidar Haran's sharp nails. She laid down carefully, flinching as the harsh straw pricked her. She stiffened, trying to move as little as possible and failing as each new move caused the straw to prick her more, causing her to flinch again, which made the straw prick her… It was going to be a long night. She looked ruefully at the blanket she had put aside, and realized she actually looked forward to being able to roll into the hated thing tomorrow evening.


	17. The Dragon's sisters and the Blacksmith

**The Dragon's sisters and the Blacksmith.**

Sheriam received the sisters in the entrance hall, together with trusted representatives of each Ajah. From there, she sent them all with their own Ajah to wait until they would be called in, all but Cadsuane, whom she invited to see the Amyrlin first of all. It was a pity so many of the other Green had Warders. At the time, that had been the reason for selecting Bera, Faeldrin and Kiruna for the embassy to al'Thor, but now it was a nuisance. At least Beldeine and Karldin could be taken, and Bera who would remain here as 'Black', but Nelaveire apologized for the fact that she could not bring Naeff along as had been Egwene's orders, since he was off on a mission for the Dragon.

Taking Cadsuane first was a risk, but it would be expected Egwene would call the respected, almost legendary sister in to see her first. The other sisters would not be within hearing distance, and as far as anyone knew, there was nothing like the Call rods included in the ter'angreal set that Mesaana had called a Paralis-net.

Sheriam made small-talk about the Tower, the Seanchan attack and the bubbles of chaos, which were gone now that the Tower had been reunited but which had been so prolific when chaos ruled. She gave no details about anything, not yet, claiming Cadsuane would hear those from the Amyrlin. Arriving at her anteroom, she went straight through and led the older sister into Egwene's study. Egwene was at her desk, Mesaana in her Accepted disguise pretending to serve tea.

Unlike the previous times, they did not strike the moment the doors closed. Egwene greeted Cadsuane and invited her to sit down, Sheriam closed the door and wove the wards. Only after Cadsuane was seated, Mesaana took tray with a cup of tea and several sweets to Cadsuane. She set the tray down next to the Green sister, standing half behind her, as Egwene asked something about al'Thor. Then Mesaana reached for the net with a quick movement, but not quick enough.

Lightning-fast, Cadsuane grabbed her wrist and pulled the Chosen around in front of her. Both channeled, Cadsuane trying to push a shield in place and Mesaana drawing Saidar through the sa'angreal, trying to cut the flows, but the net included an aid in shielding and even with Vora's rod Mesaana was having a hard time holding the shield off her.

"Who are you?" Cadsuane demanded.

Mesaana did not reply, instead struggled to pull free, but Cadsuane had a grip of steel. Sheriam could not get to the Green as Mesaana was in between them now, and as she tried to channel the stunning weaves Cadsuane cut them off before she got even close.

Then Mesaana showed she could fight without the One Power as well. She kicked Cadsuane in the shins even as she hit her hard in the jaw with her free fist. Then Egwene, who had lunged from behind her desk, reached the Green sister, grabbed the net from behind, and yanked it away.

Sheriam struck again with the stunning weaves as soon as she saw the net come free. Only for a split second shock registered on Cadsuane's face, then she slumped in her chair, and Mesaana's shield slid in place.

The Chosen pulled free from Cadsuane's now unresisting grip, and rubbed her wrist. Egwene handed her the ter'angreal set. More than a few silver hairs clung to it.

"I hate those things," Mesaana said grimly, even as she took it. Then she channeled the gateway to Malkier.

Sheriam took Cadsuane through and put her on one of the tables where a circle was waiting. Several Black and turned were already gathered, the myrddraal among them. Nesita held Sashalle on another table -the Red who after all had no Warders had been instructed to take their sisters if they could safely do so, and it did not surprise Sheriam Nesita had been this quick.

"Take her while I look over this," Mesaana instructed, indicating the Paralis-net.

Sheriam linked with the waiting sisters. She wove the turning, then woke the Green.

Cadsuane sat up and looked around the large room, at the sisters, the Myrddraal. She raised her hand and rubbed her chin, where a bruise was forming, and slowly shook her head.

"Turning my back on Egwene was a mistake, I should have known she was hers when she attacked in the Amyrlin's Study. But I never could have expected anything on this scale. Could not have expected her to move this quick. All?"

"Almost all," Sheriam replied. "Some with Warders are still unturned. We will not take those with a Warder among Al'Thor's either, he nor his Aiel should get wind of this."

She looked around at the circle and selected Larissa.

"Heal the visible bruises," she ordered.

At one time, seeking or offering Healing for an injury received from one of the Chosen had been a sure way to more pain. Anyone would be left to cover up their bruises as much as possible, or to come up with an explanation for them, no matter how farfetched. But in this case they could not afford the risk. Especially not with Aybara coming soon, trying to explain two suspicious accidents or attacks in or near the Tower would be folly.

As Larissa wove the flows, Mesaana walked over. She nodded approval.

"You will have to wear these again too, of course," she said, indicating the Paralis-net. "All except this. Interesting to see an Oathbreaker in the set, it must have been owned by a Friend of the Dark. I'm not sure whether it would work on the turning like it does on the binder, but I am not about to let you try."

The Chosen held up a silverpike as she spoke, then handed the rest of the net to Cadsuane. The silverpike she dropped in her belt pouch.

"Once we are in the open, you will turn in the rest."

"Yes, High Mistress," Cadsuane replied with only a small sigh of regret in her voice as she knelt.

It was strange to see the other woman kneel as readily as that. Cadsuane was a legend of her own, and Sheriam was certain the meek obedience didn't come easy to her, let alone the promise to part with the ter'angreal set -something no Aes Sedai would willingly hand over. Clearly Cadsuane had expected not to be challenged about her right to keep it, wearing it as openly as she did even though many knew what it was, but Sheriam wondered if she would have returned to Cairhien with it if the Black hadn't taken over the Tower. Any other Amyrlin, even Siuan, would have been reluctant to challenge a sister of Cadsuane's status, but Egwene had broken with tradition before. No matter what their respective age, she might have demanded it remain in the Tower, for her or Nynaeve or one of the others she trusted to use, or for Elayne to replicate. And while Sheriam was sure Cadsuane would've argued, she was not at all sure of who would've won. As it was, the Green sister put up no resistance. No matter what her status was or had been outside this room, she, unlike Tuon, knew when to show respect.

Mesaana looked down at the Green sister.

"Rise and we will return to Tar Valon," she said.

-0-

The briefing of Cadsuane took some time, even though they already knew much about the Dragon and the sisters he had gathered around him from Merise and Jahar.

Cadsuane was not even surprised they would allow al'Thor to remain free until he came to the Bore, where prophesy placed him. She, like Moridin, seemed to believe the prophesies showed the confrontation had to take place there.

After her, the others were taken and briefed a lot quicker, and given instructions for their return to the Dragon. All save Shashalle and Bera, who were to remain in Tar Valon, exposed as Black Ajah.

Shashalle was relieved she did not have to return to the Wise Ones, even if here at the Tower she would be locked in the cells. With almost all sisters turned, there would be no real interrogation, and Mesaana showed her how to hide her ability to channel so she did not even need to be Stilled. For Bera it was much worse. With her Warders, the Stilling could not be faked, and even though she knew it was only for a few weeks, and Stilling could now be Healed fully, she was frightened and upset, and fretted over her Warders. Who were livid, and had to be held apart since one, Raymon, held fast it was a mistake while Ian and Trey swore they'd been with er all along. This time everyone knew it was a lie, but even though it seemed those two would stay true to Bera no matter what, Sheriam forbade the Green to tell them the truth. They couldn't be released from the cells regardless, there were too many non-channelers in the Tower, and it was safer the less they knew.

Finally the others returned to Cairhien, to al'Thor. The announcement about Bera and Shashalle was made, and there was little surprise or resistance against their imprisonment, even though the others had been executed so quickly. The explanation that they had to be further interrogated to learn what they had done so close to the Dragon was readily accepted by Chubain and his guards, and most of the sisters of course could guess the truth. Only Gawyn expressed doubt, stating the risk of escape or further trouble might be greater than advisable. Egwene had to be quite firm with him, telling him that learning what the Black had done and planned for the Dragon was of extreme importance, and certainly the Tower could safely hold just two sisters, now that the rest of the Black Ajah had been purged from the Tower itself.

The young woman managed to keep her face completely straight in spite of the magnitude of that last lie, and Sheriam was impressed. Less than two weeks ago, she had been able to tell from Egwene's uneasiness that she did indeed know about the Black, and here she was lying to her Warder, a hard thing to do at any time. She was a quick learner indeed.

-0-

While they had received the sisters, Kiyoshi had returned with Aybara's reply to Egwene's letter. Sheriam hadn't known who Mesaana had picked to deliver the message, and Kiyoshi had not been a member of the Black, but she had done well.

Heavily warded, the Grey was still shaken as she made her report. She had encountered a dozen or more little accidents and mishaps, and it had been difficul to reach Aybara and hand him the letter. Even then, it had almost gone awry, as a gust of wind -inside a tent!- took the letter from his hands and landed it partially in a cup of tea. But it had still been readable.

And as they had hoped, Aybara trusted Egwene and believed the mishaps to be something of the Dark One, rather than the Pattern trying to protect its ta'veren. He had agreed to come the following day.

-0-

Sheriam was uneasy as she went to meet Aybara. As far as any of the Two Rivers men were concerned, they did not know how to Travel within the Dreamspike's sphere of influence, and Fager Neald had woven his gateway well outside its limits. From there to the Tower gates, they rode, and at the gates, Sheriam met them.

Even if he had not come at Egwene's summons, Sheriam thought she would have recognised him. Only a few years older than the Asha'man, he was obviously a strong man, with broad shoulders and thick, muscular arms. But he jumped off his horse lightly, and hardly seemed to feel the heavy warhammer that hung from his belt. He had brown hair, a beard, and the startling yellow eyes of a Wolfbrother, the first time she saw those except in illustrations. She stopped herself from staring, instead greeted him cordially.

"I am Sheriam Sedai, Keeper of the Chronicles to Egwene al'Vere. She is pleased you could come. I will take you to her."

"Perrin Aybara," the young man said, far less formally.

Horse handlers had come to take the horses and made to take the tall dun as well as the grey Fager Neald had ridden. Suddenly the horse spooked and the man who had just taken the reins from Aybara stumbled, just barely catching himself.

"Easy, Stepper," Aybara said, then made sure the man was alright before letting him lead the dun stallion off. Then he nodded to Sheriam, who led him through the gates into the great square in front of the Tower itself.

Neald remained behind, as far as anyone was concerned he had only come along for the Traveling and he would not be in on the meeting with Egwene.

"He is not normally spooky, it must be more of the Dark One's tricks, trying to stop me. Egwene warned me of that in her letter, and we've had some difficulty..."

A crash from off to their left interrupted him, as a hand cart turned over and dozens of apples rolled in their path. Sheriam started but Aybara was barely fazed, merely sighed deeply before he continued, stepping around and over the spilled fruit as he spoke. "...we had some difficulty already this morning. My saddle strap broke and Fager's horse threw a shoe, but we would have come walking if necessary."

Sheriam nodded sympathy and started to ask about this and other incidents, but before they had gone more than a few dozen steps inside and through the hallway, two novices came hurling around the corner, barreling into Aybara. They apologized profusely, more startled than either Sheriam or Aybara himself, exclaiming they did not even know what had set them off running in the halls. Sheriam dismissed them, and they were both relieved and surprised at getting off so easily.

"I hope no one suffers serious harm," Aybara said. "It is a curse to be ta'veren and a target of the Dark One like this, but he will not prevent this meeting. And I will leave you money to settle with the carter, he should not suffer from my visit."

"That is very generous of you, but the Tower will pay for any damages," Sheriam replied. "After all, it is the Amyrlin who requested this meeting."

They continued down the hall and for a brief while nothing happened directly to them, although there were startled screams and more clamor than usual coming from afar. The Pattern was straining, trying its best to keep Aybara's thread safe. Sheriam felt herself go cold inside, had they gone too far, trying to fight the Pattern itself? But there was no other way. Aybara, Mat Cauthon and the Dragon himself were all three ta'veren, and all three were firmly on the side of the Light. If they were to set the Great Lord free, they had to defeat them at one point or another. And better to face him here, him alone and they on their own turf, than to wait and face them all three at once. She knew that Mesaana had made the only sensible decision she could have made, but she was still uneasy about the outcome. In spite of the wards Mesaana had woven around her, she would still feel the Pattern tug at her, and she had to struggle to keep walking straight.

They continued on their way to her anteroom and Egwene's study, up one flight of stairs, through another broad, marble-tiled hall, then just as she led the way around one more corner, with a sharp snap, the leather strap holding the huge warhammer to Aybara's belt broke in two.

Sheriam tried to jump aside but she was too late, while she avoided taking the massive head in her knee, it landed on her right foot. Pain lanced through her and she hissed, biting her lip to keep from crying out.

Aybara reached out, catching her in his arms as she stumbled, at the same time snatching the warhammer away from her. His touch was strong but gentle and his face showed genuine concern as he apologized. "Oh, Light, I am sorry. Are you badly hurt?"

Sheriam flexed her foot, then even though fire shot up her leg from the three smallest toes, she pushed the pain away. Physical pain could be ignored, and it was something she and many of the Black had plenty of practice in. Unlike the openly administered penances, the punishments meted out among the Black Ajah had to stay hidden from inquiring eyes, while those were generally the harshest kind. She could feel blood starting to seep inside her slipper, and she channeled a small version of the Mirror of Mists, hiding any stain that might soak through the soft fabric.

"I am terribly sorry," Aybara told her. "Let me help you sit down and find someone to Heal you."

"It can wait," Sheriam replied. "The meeting is more important, I can still walk."

And she could, using the willpower and disciplines of many years.

Aybara looked doubtful. "Are you sure?"

She nodded and, ignoring the throbbing pain, put her weight on her foot without showing the strain in her face. "I am sure. The meeting. Perhaps then, when the Dark One can no longer prevent you from meeting the Amyrlin, there will be less of these incidents, and the sooner that happens the better."

Aybara nodded, and she allowed him to support her by her arm as she led the way again, at a somewhat slower pace but with only the slightest limp. Fortunately there was only one short flight of stairs to climb, and they reached her anteroom without anything else ontoward happening.

She led Aybara through her anteroom towards the ornate door leading to the Amyrlin's Study. Here, she gave a brief knock, then opened the door and invited Aybara in. He walked past her, releasing her arm as she remained at the door.

Mesaana was waiting inside, in her usual Accepted disguise, pretending to be busy with a tray with teapot and cups. An excellent disguise, no one questioned her presence any more than that of a servant would be questioned elsewhere. Evanellein was disguised as Egwene, sitting at the Amyrlin's desk, while Egwene herself was well away from here, in Malkier.

The Grey glanced up, nodded, and then carefully put aside some papers she had in front of her to cover her slowness in greeting Aybara; voices were harder to disguise than appearance, and he knew Egwene well enough he might notice if they were even the slightest bit off.

Mesaana was glowing with the Power and had the flows ready to aim at the blacksmith's heart. Sheriam wove the ward as soon as she closed the door, which was all Mesaana was waiting for.

Then, the same instant she lashed out with the Power, Mesaana tripped. On what, Sheriam didn't know, there was no rug or any other object on the floor, but one could trip over a mote of dust when a ta'veren as strong as Aybara was in the room. The Chosen fell and lost Saidar as she hit her head on the small, ornate table that held the tea tray. The tea pot and cups crashed to the floor, tea splashing everywhere.

At the same time, the chair buckled from under Evanellein and she too fell to the floor.

That left only her. Sheriam struck out with the stunning weaves, as she had done with Bryne and Jahar before, and to her surprise they took hold.

Maybe the strike with the hammer had been all the Pattern could do to her at the time. She felt Aybara lose consciousness even as he sank to the floor, then unlike the other times, she pulled the weaves tighter.

Aybara's breathing slowed as she channeled, then she felt it stop, almost immediately followed by his heart. Then, nothing. For just a moment she pulled the flows tighter yet, but she knew it was not really necessary, Aybara was dead.

She let go of the flows and turned to Mesaana, who was sitting up with one hand pressed to her temple. Sheriam knelt down and Delved, found it was only a bruise, and Healed it.

"Thank you," Mesaana said as Sheriam helped her up. The Chosen looked at the still form of Aybara. "And for that."

Relief was clear in Mesaana's voice, clearer than Sheriam had until recently expected to show any such emotion.

"Thank you, High Mistress," Sheriam replied.

She heard a noise and saw Evanellein push herself up from among the remains of the Amyrlin's chair, shaking her head as if she too had been stunned for a moment. As she moved to help, she put her weight on her right foot and flinched.

"You are hurt too," Mesaana noticed.

"His warhammer fell on my foot," Sheriam answered.

"Sit down," Mesaana said, then as Sheriam glanced at Aybara's body, "Plenty of time now, and we no longer have to fight his ta'veren influence."

That was true, all had gone quiet, Sheriam no longer felt the Pattern tug on them, and she did not doubt that outside all had gone quiet as well. Would anyone wonder about the tugging stopping now, rather than after the staged assassination? Sheriam tried not to worry about it, if Aybara himself believed their suggestion it was the Dark One who had been trying to prevent the meeting, then few others would question it.

Mesaana channeled, Delved and frowned. hen the tingle of Healing ran through Sheriam's body.

"I Healed most of the bones, but the little toe is crushed beyond my abilities. I put a cast of Air on it and a nerve block, one of the Yellow can look at it later," Mesaana told her.

Sheriam stood and carefully put her weight on her foot. The pain was gone, although there was a bit of a numbness in her toe.

"Thank you, High Mistress," Sheriam said again.

Mesaana nodded satisfaction as she saw Sheriam stand on the foot, then looked down at Aybara's corpse.

"So that's the power-wrought hammer. I wish we could keep it, but of course it will have to be returned along with the body. It shouldn't be too dangerous when another wields it, perhaps Fager himself or another one of ours."

The Chosen did not check on Evanellein, Sheriam noticed, but only a few weeks ago the Sitter would have been punished for her failure to strike at Aybara. The Sitter was obviously not too seriously injured, and quite relieved to escape notice.

Mesaana channeled into her Call rod, alerting Dawn, who arrived immediately, her Warders leading a large, heavy-boned man through the gateway.

The Mask of Mirrors could be cast on a slender girl, but in case any of the weaves used in the attack made it flicker, or any quick bystander made it to the scene even quicker than the sisters and would be able to touch him, a man with a similar built to Aybara was safer. Sheriam had no idea where Dawn had found him and she did not ask, it was far from here as per Mesaana's orders, and when all was over, Dawn herself would dispose of the body.

Mesaana wove the Mask of Mirrors with Air and Fire, careful of each detail. Then the Chosen switched to the flows of Compulsion, and she gave the man precise instructions. Sheriam added such information as necessary about their encounters on the way here, so the man would appear to know the horse handler and the man whose cart had been upset.

Only when Mesaana was completely satisfied with their decoy, did she open a gateway to the Tower's small chapel. While the Yellow could Heal most who came to the Tower for help, they could not save all, and old age eventually claimed sisters as well as the Tower's servants and other inhabitants, and there was a small room off the Yellow's quarters where the dead were washed and prepared for burial. There were only Black sisters in attendance now, and they handed off Aybara's body, leaving it there for the time being.

Then Dagdara and Talva saw to Sheriam's toe, Healing the crushed bones to their normal state. She felt slightly hungry but the bones of the foot were small, and she ignored the feeling for now.

In spite of Mesaana's care with the disguise and the compulsion, they found they had a little time left. They returned to the Amyrlin's Study and Mesaana told Dawn and Evanellein to remain in the chapel to help switch the bodies. The Chosen sat down in a chair and looked over their decoy one last time, then told him to stand in the corner and wait. Of course, the man did as he was told. She turned back to Sheriam.

"Pour us a cup of tea while we wait," she ordered.

Sheriam acknowledged, retrieving more tea in from her anteroom and channeling to heat a fresh pot of water.

Mesaana had been worried about Aybara, but now that he was dead she was clearly confident in the rest of the plan. She sat back looking completely at ease when Sheriam handed her her cup.

Sheriam herself felt less comfortable. She trusted the Black sisters to carry out the plan, and even Moghedien, although she was sure the other Chosen would just as soon backstab Mesaana if she though it would better her own position, but that would not be the case here. No, her uneasiness had little to do with doubts about their plan. What bothered her was that she still felt the life leave Aybara under her flows of Saidar.

She told herself it was silly, certainly her weaves of Fire had caused death in Altara, and she had condemned Elaida to her fate without any scruples. But Aybara had been the first she had killed so close up. She glanced at their decoy, then caught herself and looked away, her expression neutral.

But she saw from the Chosen's expression that Mesaana had noticed. Was she getting too comfortable with the Chosen? This was the second time she let her feelings show! Yet Mesaana did not berate her.

"Your first?" she asked.

Sheriam nodded, not bothering to explain about the Seanchan or Elaida. The Chosen knew all that.

Mesaana looked at her for several long moments. "It gets easier," she said then.

Sheriam nodded a quiet and relieved thanks, relieved as much for the reassurance as for how Mesaana had taken her moment of weakness. Then the Chosen changed the subject, asking after other Tower business, and they quickly covered a few points while drinking their tea.

When they had finished their cups, Mesaana deemed the time right to let their decoy leave. She channeled and gave the man his final instructions, and he took up an easy conversation with Sheriam as ordered. Only those looking really close might notice the look in his eyes; they could disguise the color but the look was rather more blank than the eerily bright and animated yellow the eyes of the real Aybara had been.

Sheriam led the man out to the gates, where Fager was waiting. The horses were quickly brought out, the dun stallion gentle now, and the man could mount without incident.

As the two men rode off, Sheriam turned back into the Tower and calmly made her way back to her anteroom, as she would have done any other time.

She had only just made it back when the alarm came, by way of a harried guardsman who reported a brief but serious attack in the city.

Once again she retraced her steps to the gate, then out to where the incident had taken place. She was glad there had been time to fully Heal her toe, as the guard set a quick pace.

As agreed, there were only Yellow-Black sisters immediately in attendance, although more than a few Aes Sedai and townspeople thronged around the fallen man and those supposedly trying to save him. As soon as she approached, Sedore got up from besides the body and reported they had not been able to do anything to save Aybara, he had been dead already even though they happened to be close by. Several injuries, angry red burns from lightning and the scorched clothing hanging off the limbs, were visible to all, and there were no raised eyebrows at Sedore's statement. The Sitter also reported several others were in pursuit of the attackers.

Sheriam ordered the body brought into the Tower, and she voiced her approval at the quick response of both Healers and pursuiers, knowing very well they would not catch anyone.

Once inside the Tower, the switch was easily made. The injuries copied to Aybara's real and so far unmarred body, the decoy taken away by Dawn to be dumped who-knew-where. Without the Mask of Mirrors, it was just one more dead body in a time of war.

Then Sedore and Kiyoshi went with Fager to Aybara's camp to bring the news and the body. Returning several hours later, they reported the normal disbelief and denial those confronted by sudden death were likely to exhibit, but there was no true suspicion. Only Faile, Aybara's wife, and Berelain of Mayene had raised questions and demanded to know every detail of Aybara's visit in a way that showed disbelief greater than could be explained by their shock alone. Sheriam knew Fager would keep an eye on them and once Annoura was taken, she too would be instructed to put any doubts to rest.

-0-

Egwene was called back to the Tower and put up a brief but convincing show of outrage, sending sisters and guardsmen after the assassins. She held up well, but Sheriam saw the strain and as soon as they were in the Amyrlin's Study alone, Egwene broke down and cried.

Sheriam held her as she had once held novices who needed to be consoled. She did not mention that she had been the one to kill the blacksmith, only telling her it had been very quick.

For the rest of the day, Sheriam busied herself with the daily routine of the Tower and with keeping all who couldn't be trusted, as well as most of everyone else, out of the Amyrlin's study.

Late that same evening, Fager brought Jur Grady to be turned.


	18. Against their will

**Against their will.**

Reports from elsewhere were not as good. While the turnings went well, and all remained quiet in Tar Valon itself -apart from their own staged attack- chaos and war now struck everywhere else. Refugees arrived in the city every day, carrying tales of Trolloc raids on unprotected villages and larger towns alike, and Blight-like plagues destroying their crops.

Sisters who Travelled across the continent in search of produce now came back empty-handed, reporting that in Altara and Ghaeldean it was as if the Blight itself had struck there. In one case there had even been a Stick that managed to kill several villagers before it was crushed to death, miles and miles from where any had ever been seen, but the description left little doubt it had indeed been such a creature.

Other areas suffered as well, and the Borderlands most of all. The Blight had moved down further South than ever before, with more than just a single Stick, and Mesaana showed Lisa and Kerryn at the farm how to weave strong wards against the bigger creatures that threatened those who were unprotected.

There certainly was no more food to purchase, and Sheriam was glad she had managed to restock most of the Tower's supplies that had been depleted as a result of Elaida's miss-management and the Tower's split, even if prices had been high.

She assigned shelter to the refugees, making the guardsman set up the tents the rebel army had used, and told Laras to hand out soup once a day to those who were worst off.

-0-

Near the end of the day, a large party rode into town and were brought to her. Three sisters, Teslyn, Joline and Edesina, escaped from the Seanchan, rode into town with an escort of Redarm soldiers. Sheriam was glad to have them safely back at the Tower and they were easily turned, but she had mixed feelings about their travel compagnions. Two Seanchan sul'dam, now they could be useful, but the others? A single nosy thief taker who offered his services to the Amyrlin could have been manipulated, sent off on a wild goose chase, but Sheriam thought the woman with him looked familiar, and when she asked around, Nynaeve told her 'Thera' was Amathera, former Panarch of Tarabon. The woman seemed submissive enough after what Temaille had done to her and whatever had happened to her afterwards at the hands of the Seanchan, but she would be trained in Daes Dae'mar and she was not completely broken.

And the third Seanchan woman did not have the ability, could not be turned like the sul'dam. Nor could the man with her, a sailor who had helped the girls before and was known at least to some who weren't turned yet, Elayne for one. Should she have them killed, tomorrow, when the Redarm soldiers had left town with the horses? She did not want to do that, Aybara had been necessary but these were not ta'veren. One got used to it, all good and well, but she wasn't there yet.

-0-

Two more days passed and most resources were spent on the hunt for the presumed attackers. Egwene made quite a show of sending all she could miss off after the Black sisters, and when Juilin offered his services, Sheriam paired him up with Moria, whom she was sure would be able to handle him.

The Redarm soldiers were sent back to Mat's army's camp just outside Caemlyn by gateway, and Miyasi went with them. Unfortunately Mat Cauthon was not there, and none seemed to know where he was, or at least none would tell.

Jahar reported in twice a day on the taking of the men who had bonded the sisters, and Pevara visited the Black Tower and managed to stall Androl and the others who did not hold a bond. The Red was not sure how long it would last, but since several trusted men who did hold a bond and were turned supported her, she was confident they did have a little time left before Androl and the others would insist on making a move against Taim.

Sheriam was glad she was once again in touch with the sisters held at the Black Tower. Even if the bonding made her uncomfortable, and the sisters would have to remain at the Black Tower with their men, it was better than not knowing anything about their situation. And the Dedicated were decent men, even the other Red sisters who had been at the Tower had to admit that. Decent and reliable, the way they had first caught Toveine's party with only a few casualties among the Warders and guards, and now took every one of them who remained at the Tower without any serious trouble as well, proved what they were capable of. Mezar Kurin first of all, but others as well, Norley, Wellyn Kajima, Duco, all worked hard and followed their orders conscientiously.

The more she saw of the men, the more it surprised her that Demandred had so readily allowed Mesaana to turn them and take them off his hands. Even if he had been ready to send them all to their deaths, that too seemed folly to her.

She brought it up to Mesaana, who agreed it was foolish, but was less concerned.

"Demandred is wasteful, most of us were. What puzzles me is not that he wastes fifty good assets, but the fact that he allowed me to have them. Now last he knew I stood well below him in favor of the Great Lord as well as with Moridin, so he could afford to be generous. He likely expected to be able to order me around, so the armies under my command would be his to use, indirectly. That however is changing, with the information about the Dragon's plans, the Tower firmly under control, and not in the last place Aybara's death. I am sure he will regret his generosity by now, and I expect he will try to re-gain control of the men somehow. He shouldn't dare attack me openly, even before Aybara that wouldn't have gone over well, and he hates being second to Moridin more than anything. As long as Moridin lives, the agreement we made not to turn on one another will stand."

Sheriam was somewhat reassured, but she still felt far from easy when they rode to their appointment with Demandred the following day. She left Wing with the Asha'man Soldiers and followed Mesaana to the manor house.

-0-

They were led into the same room as the previous week, and like last week, Mesaana sat down. Again, it took only a short while for Demandred to arrive, but this time he was not alone. A tall, dark man with Saldaean features followed him into the room. Mazrim Taim, it had to be.

As last time, Sheriam knelt as Demandred entered, and rose at Mesaana's gesture. This time, Demandred gave her more than just a glance.

"Ah yes, you did take your pet along again." He nodded to Taim. "She's yours."

Sheriam started as Taim came forward and reached for her. She stepped back, even as she noticed Mesaana veer up out of her chair.

"What's the meaning of this?" Mesaana demanded, but now both men crossed the remaining distance between them, and while Taim grabbed her arm, Sheriam saw Demandred do the same to Mesaana, ignoring her protests.

She wasn't supposed to channel, but she reached for Saidar anyhow. Shielded, of course.

"Let me go. We had an agreement!" Mesaana demanded. She too had to be shielded, Sheriam saw no glow of Saidar around her.

Taim now took her by both arms and pulled her closer. She struggled, but the man was much stronger. She thought of the Well, she could still use it, but against two men, one of them a Chosen? It only held a little of the One Power. She heard Mesaana curse but she had no time to look. Taim leaned over her, and she kicked him in the shins, yelling at him to let her go.

"Feisty as a real Saldaean redhead, I like that," Taim said, his face so close to hers she could smell his breath.

She turned her head away from him, but he grabbed her hair with one hand so she had to turn back. And while she hammered him with the one hand she now had free, he leaned even closer and pressed his lips on hers. No, not that! She struggled and managed to claw at his face with her nails, but in vain, she felt the unseen weaves settle into her, filling her from head to toe with heat, perversely sweet in her veins. It lasted only moments, and she gasped as it shattered, as if the heat suddenly turned to ice and burst from her in tiny shards.

And Taim was there, inside her. His triumph, a wolfish lust she did not even want to think about, down to the slight burning of the scratches on his cheek. He grabbed her free arm again even as he spoke.

"Do not attack me or any other of the Asha'man, nor Demandred of course. Do not channel without my explicit permission. Do not try to escape."

Then he let her go.

She wanted to run away, but she could not, the compulsion held her as strongly as his grip had. Carefully she probed -she could do that, as long as she did not actually try to channel- and she found the shield was gone too. Fat lot of good that did her.

In the back of her mind she felt an echo of her alarm. Oh Great Lord, Arinvar! He had of course felt her panic, but he was back in Tar Valon, and he too could do nothing against these two men. She willed him to remain where he was, to not come here and be killed. As if he could feel that, the Bond was not telepathic in that manner.

"Heal this," Taim told her, as he probed the scratches on his face with his fingers. "No more, no less."

Gritting her teeth, she fervently wished she could try out Dagdara's weaves on his heart, but she had no choice but to obey. She channeled the weaves of Healing. He grinned, had to feel her hatred but seemed to relish it. The rotten bastard.

As soon as she was done, he ordered her to let go of the Source, then turned to look at the two Chosen.

While to Sheriam the struggle had seemed endless, she realized it had only taken a few moments. The two Chosen were still facing off, Demandred holding Mesaana by the arm and Mesaana, clearly furious, cursing and struggling.

"I should have known you could not be trusted any more than a Tojar street thug," she spat. "You would not hold to an agreement with your own mother."

"You keep bringing that up. Really I did not break it as much as bend it a little," Demandred said. "Moghedien and Cyndane may live, they are hardly in the running for a position of power anymore, and I was quite interested to learn that Graendal has lost her position as one of the Chosen entirely, as of last week. Due to an incident at the White Tower that you did not bother to tell me about, I may add."

"That leaves Moridin," Mesaana said. "Have you decided second place is good enough after all, or do you plan to challenge him all alone?"

Her voice made clear what she thought of those odds.

"Alone? Oh no," Demandred answered. "You will help me. So you see, in fact I am not breaking our agreement after all, I am only making sure that it stands."

He pulled Mesaana closer towards him, turning her around and pinning her to his chest.

"More… permanently," he added, speaking over her shoulder.

"You really want me in your head for ever?" Mesaana snapped.

"It beats having you behind my back," he replied.

But he was hesitating, Sheriam realized. Had been hesitating all along. While Taim had bonded her immediately, Demandred was stalling, more reluctant to carry through with this vile plan of his than he perhaps knew himself.

Taim also realized the Chosen was taking his time, he started to feel slightly nervous. Not that it was immediately clear what Mesaana could do, if she could have broken through his shield she would have done so already. But any time gained might give Mesaana time to come up with something, anything. Even a small chance was better than none, for once Mesaana too was bonded all would be lost.

And then, while the two Chosen kept arguing, she felt Arinvar's bond shift in her head. He was here! Hope and despair surged through her and she felt Taim's alarm even as he grabbed her by one arm again, frowning.

"Whatever you just thought of, you will not try to escape," he told her again.

"I can't," she said truthfully.

She struggled to suppress the slight hope she felt, Arinvar had to be with someone who could channel, one of the men because he had arrived nearby, very nearby, and none of the Aes Sedai knew the key to Travel directly onto the Black Tower grounds. She could swear he was in the very house, in fact…

The door was flung open and several people burst into the room. Jahar and Merise in front, Merise glowing with Saidar, Arinvar and Merise's two Warders close behind them.

Sheriam wrenched herself loose from Taim's grip and dropped to the floor -not an attempt to escape but simply to stay alive, for lightning and fire flashed through the room between Demandred and Taim, and Jahar and Merise.

She watched and saw Mesaana had managed to pull partly free of Demandred's grip, and she too had ducked, although Demandred still held her by one wrist. The air overhead crackled with the Power and the room shook as each weave crashed into the heavy shields. Furniture toppled and crashed to the floor, the smell of smoldering wool filled the room as sparks scorched the carpet and tapestries.

Even as she saw the Chosen had one hand free, Sheriam pulled the Well from her hair and tossed it to Mesaana.

She had never told Mesaana she had it, and if the Chosen had recognized the hair ornament for what it was, she had not mentioned it, but it did not take her more than a fraction of a second to react. The glow of Saidar sprung up around Mesaana at almost the same moment her fingers closed around it.

Mesaana channeled, the killing weave aimed at Demandred's mind and a long, sharp blade of Air stabbing deep into his back. The flows met no resistance, she must have been within the other Chosen's shield.

The Well ran out and for just a fraction of a second, the glow of Saidar winked out, but then it sprang up again, at full strength now, as Demandred died, crashing to the floor without the time for a counter-strike.

Taim was strong, but fielding off the attacks from two sides he had no chance. Mesaana's weaves reached out, stopped only momentarily where Taim's shield of Air had to be, then cut through. Sheriam felt him stagger as weaves of Spirit hit him in his mind. Anger and only a touch of fear at the moment he lost the Source.

Pushing past the resistance, Mesaana shielded him and at the same time called out warning.

"Careful, he has bonded her."

Arinvar stepped past Jahar and Merise, his rage stronger than Taim's, but comforting in its familiarity.

"I felt it."

He stepped up behind Taim, who stood reeling, grabbed the man by the hair and put his blade to his throat.

All Sheriam felt was defiance.

"You hurt me, you hurt her." Then Taim's eyes fastened on her. "I should have told you not to help her escape either."

More anger and disgust, and only a very, very slight trace of regret underneath it all.

"I can compel him to undo the orders he gave you, and he can be held," Mesaana said. "Or you must risk the breaking of the bond."

They could hold him, they had the manpower with the Dedicated taken too, and the road now clear to turn the rest of the Black Tower. But Sheriam needed no time to decide. It wasn't just the risk of him breaking free, Mesaana knew ways of weaving compulsion that would hold him securely, especially since he, unlike Tuon, would not need to function normally. It was that he was there, his filthy, overwhelming presence.

"I want him out of my head," she said decisively, her eyes hard.

Mesaana nodded.

"I understand severing to be less of a shock than straight, sudden death," the Chosen said.

Merise had turned green.

"The bond of the men is far stronger than the usual Warder bond," she cautioned.

Mesaana glanced at her once more, but Sheriam did not blink.

"I'm sure."

He had not even felt defeat or resignation, not even now. Vile, the man and his bond.

Without further comment, while Merise looked on in horror, Mesaana wove Spirit.

Sheriam smiled in determined anticipation that was stronger than the fear she felt. She would rather die than live with Taim's bond.

There was no warning, no 'running out' or slow ebbing. From one moment to the next, his overbearing presence was simply gone, imploded while in its place was a cold nothingness. And on the edge of that emptiness relief and triumph. That must be what kept her upright, he would not see her fall!

"Kill him," she ordered.

She must have said it, but her voice sounded as if it were someone else's, or as if she was standing in a large, empty cave.

Arinvar cut Taim's throat with one smooth pull of his blade. He was still there, his anger strong, but it was on the other side of the vast emptiness. Taim's blood spurted out and the light left his eyes even as Arinvar threw the body down in disgust.

The next thing she knew, she was laying on the floor, with her head in Arinvar's lap. Concern came from him, now stronger than the anger. Mesaana sat next to her, Jahar and Merise on the other side, and she remembered the cold tingle of Healing. And there was the emptiness, spreading from her mind through her body as if she were nothing but an empty shell. The bond had only lasted, what, fifteen minutes perhaps, and she had hated every second of it. How could it hurt so much?

The brief rush of energy that had come from the Healing ebbed away and she felt herself fading as if she were drifting off to sleep. She closed her eyes. Again the tingle of Healing and she felt a slightly stronger, but only a little.

She heard Mesaana curse.

"She needs a bond." Merise's voice.

"Can you?" Mesaana.

"I… it may not be enough. Their bond is different, that much is certain."

"I will do it." Jahar.

Sheriam opened her eyes with a small surge of apprehension, alright so he wasn't Taim, but bonded again? Still she knew he would have to, and she did not really want to die. As if she were even in any state to argue.

Jahar reached out, took her head in his hands, and somehow she found the strength not to pull back or flinch. He was not Taim! He looked at her with concern in his dark eyes.

"I promise not to use the bond in any way to compel you, and I will search for a way to release you when you no longer need it."

No, not Taim at all. She felt some of the tension leave her as he leaned close. The bells on the ends of his braids tingled, and he smelled vaguely of spices, the sage Arafellin often used. His lips touched hers, and she felt the weaves take hold. The heat almost unbearable in contrast to the vast coldness inside her, then the explosion of sharp shards which seemed dulled by the same void.

Then he was there, filling the emptiness with concern and strength, so much pure strength!

He drew back, sitting on his haunches holding only her hand. Sheriam felt her own strength return. She smiled weakly.

"Thank you."

She sat up, slowly so as not to get dizzy, and felt that she could. Jahar and Arinvar helped her into one of the chairs. There was still a ring of emptiness around Jahar's presence, a nagging sense of loss, but with some effort it could be ignored.

She looked at the two bodies on the floor. Taim, face down in a puddle of blood, and Demandred -Great Lord, one of the Chosen!- who had fallen backwards and only a bit of blood spread from under his body.

"Will there be trouble?" she asked.

"He gambled and lost," Mesaana said, glancing at his body with an expression of extreme distaste. "If there is any trouble, it will be his."

Of course, even in death he was not necessarily safe from the Great Lord's wrath. She nodded in relief.

"Now you need food and rest, while I deal with this. I will need Jahar -can you go to Tar Valon or should we find a place for you to lie down here?" Mesaana asked.

Merise looked startled as Mesaana even suggested she would return to Tar Valon. A Green sister would not let a newly bonded Warder out of her sight under similar circumstances. But she hadn't wanted the bond in the first place, and was far from comfortable even with Jahar. The bond would do what it needed to do, and a little distance would be welcome.

"Tar Valon would be fine."

Mesaana turned to Jahar.

"Tell me exactly what you do when you Travel here. Which flows do you use, and what do you do with them, every detail."

With a look of concentration on his face, Jahar channeled and explained. Several times, while each time Mesaana asked for more explanations, for another small detail. She frowned and muttered numbers under her breath as she wove the flows Jahar described. Then all of a sudden, a small Eye opened for her too.

"Got it," she said, satisfied.

The Chosen wove a full size gateway and Sheriam saw it led to her quarters in Tar Valon.

"Now get some rest. Oh, and these are yours," Mesaana said as she held out the Well and the stone cup.

The Chosen had used the Healing ter'angreal? She must have been closer to death than she had realized. She took it, but was reluctant to take the Well.

"It would not have helped me," Mesaana said. "He was ready for it, could have countered the little Saidar it held when he shielded us, and the first thing he did was he took my belt pouch and searched me. He did not think to check what you carried, others may make the same mistake."

Sheriam had not seen any of that, but then she had not seen anything much for those first moments, except Taim, Taim so close… no, she would not allow herself to think of that. With a nod, she took the Well, too.

"The official version of what happened will include just you and Taim, as if he acted on his own to control the White Tower. But do not tell anyone yet, I will work out the details later so there are no inconsistencies in the story when it reaches al'Thor and any others."

Mesaana looked at Arinvar as well as her as she said this, and he too nodded.

"Yes, High Mistress."

He helped her up and led her through the gateway into her quarters.

Jahar kept back, Sheriam felt his concern but also appreciated his restraint. Then the bond dulled as Mesaana's gateway closed. Jahar was still there in her head, but not as near, not as strong.

Arinvar went out into the hall and ordered one of the servants to bring food, then returned. Sheriam stripped down to her shift and sat on the edge of the bed, fighting a wave of tiredness that was coming over her even now. Fortunately, the food was not long coming and she quickly finished the stew, bread and cheese. Then she laid back and fell asleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillow.

It was a deep sleep but it was full of dreams. Some were of cold and emptiness, where she was left all alone, either in strange places, vast empty fields, dark forests, or under the burning sun of the Aiel Waste. The loneliness was depressing and frightening, but those dreams were still better than the nightmares. Nightmares in which she ran from Taim, a dozen Taims, always appearing in front of her no matter how fast she ran or where she turned, the wolfish grin on his hated face. She fought until she slipped into one of the empty dreams again.

Then, at some point, the loneliness became less, the emptiness less severe. She woke to find Jahar standing next to her bed.

"Mesaana said to make sure you ate another meal tonight," he said.

In a reflex, she pulled the sheets up high around her, then relaxed as she felt only concern and care from him. She looked around and saw a tray of food already brought in, could smell more of the stew, and she realized she was hungry again. Still she was reluctant to sit up in only her shift.

Then Arinvar handed her her shawl, and she gratefully draped it around her shoulders as she sat up. He had seen her in her shift before, and it hadn't bothered her that afternoon when he had helped her into the bed, but he had felt and understood her uneasiness about Jahar.

Even with the blue-fringed shawl covering her, she kept carefully probing the bond, but there was none of the vile, raw lust that had scared and disgusted her so much in Taim. Just the concern, his quiet, confident strength and perhaps a bit of… appreciation? As Arinvar propped up the pillow behind her back, and Jahar handed her the bowl of thick stew, she felt her apprehension lessen.

Jahar pulled up a chair, the silver bells on his braids tinkling as he moved, and filled her in on the situation at the Black Tower as she ate.

The official version of the events had Jahar at the Black Tower all along, waiting to see Taim, and speaking with Arinvar as she met with the former M'Hael. The Dragon did not know the men had the key to the Dreamspike, knew only the artifact protected the Tower from an attack by Gateway, but as far as he was concerned all had to Travel to the gates and walk in.

When Taim had assaulted her, Jahar, Arinvar and Merise had rescued her, killing Taim in the process, breaking the bond, which led to Jahar bonding her to save her life. It was close to the truth and sounded plausible enough.

The Dragon had accepted Jahar's report of the events without showing doubt. He said he had never trusted Taim, and had only used him because there had been no one else who had been able to teach at the time. He sent his apology to her for allowing this to happen. And he had given the M'Hael's position to Jahar. For a moment, he had frowned, had seemed to hesitate -perhaps he had thought of Logain, who had led a faction of the men before he had joined the Dragon in Cairhien, and then gone off to a place still unknown to any of them. But then he had made the decision, saying that it was meant to be. 'Who draws it out shall follow after', he had muttered, something Jahar had not understood but Mesaana had told him referred to Callandor. Jahar had told them before he had been the one to retrieve the sa'angreal from the Stone of Tear, although Sheriam had not known that particular verse of the Karaethon Cycle.

The Dragon charged Jahar to weed out any Darkfriends from among the followers of the former M'Hael, something Jahar had readily promised.

He even referred to Egwene's purging of the Black Ajah from the White Tower, at the same time cautioning he feared the Black to have a greater number with Taim in charge and no Oath Rod. This was good news in so far that the Dragon clearly had no idea of their true numbers, even before the turnings, and presented a difficulty in that the Dragon would expect a number of Darkfriends to be caught and executed. More random men would be taken and killed instead of the presumed Darkfriends, and Sheriam hated the necessity, regretted the deaths even as she knew they would only be few among the many who died in this war. So did Jahar, she felt his loathing at the thought of having to order the death of innocent men, even as she knew he would do what was necessary.

Better to concentrate on what had been gained. With free rein at the Black Tower they could now take the rest of the men and none of them at least would be sent to be slaughtered. Some of the most influential ones, Androl, Lord Pendaloan and others who had been close to Logain, were taken already. That was the best one could hope for in a war, to be able to save your own, even at the cost of lives to others.

-0-

Soon she had finished her food and Jahar Traveled back to the Black Tower, leaving her for the night. In spite of the emptiness within, she slept through the night without waking once, and in the morning he came again to check on her before they each started their work of the day, each in their respective Towers.

For while she still felt tired and empty, there was just too much to be done to remain in bed any longer. She made her way to her anteroom and found to her satisfaction that Egwene had kept up with most Tower business, and all reports were laying on her desk in order. She looked over what the young woman had done and approved. She had assigned more of the Tower guard to help the refugees, ensuring all would have at least food and clean water, and fewer fights would break out. Egwene had also assigned extra patrols in the villages at the foot of each bridge leading into the city. There would be no Trolloc raids there, not this close to Mesaana's Tower, but the people wouldn't be allowed to guess at that, and also not all refugees were content with what they were offered. Some had banded together and raided smaller villages and outlaying farms. In other times, Tar Valon had very little trouble with outlaws, but these were not normal times any longer. Sheriam approved.

-0-

That afternoon Mesaana came to her anteroom and told her they had been summoned to Shayol Ghul. She was confident and pleased, and Sheriam trusted her judgment enough to know they had no reason to fear this visit, but she still felt far from easy as the Chosen opened the gateway to Bore.

They had Traveled to the same place as last time, the forge nearby, the group of victims for the blades outside. But this time they were not kept waiting. Almost as soon as they arrived, Shaidar Haran approached.

Mesaana curtsied deep, Sheriam knelt, always in her position slightly behind the Chosen.

"Rise, both of you," Shaidar Haran told them.

Sheriam did, as before making sure she rose after Mesaana.

"You have done well," the tall Myrddraal addressed the Chosen. "But this is no place to talk, let me invite you in."

Even as he spoke, their surroundings shimmered and they were in a stark room, sporting just a few chairs and a fireplace. A woman servant took Shaidar Haran's cloak, and Sheriam saw he wore a black coat and equally black trousers underneath. It was the first time she had ever seen a Myrddraal without a cloak or black mail, but then she had never been in one's home either. For that's what it had to be. Even though they had not entered the usual way, Sheriam guessed from the entourage they were in the cottage she had seen on their previous trip here. It was the only place she knew here that could hold such a room, and while Travel could take them anywhere, it would not make sense to summon them only to take them to a completely different location.

The woman had lush brown hair and was beautiful, but she handled the cloak carefully, and as Sheriam looked down she saw the hands of the woman were bandaged on each finger, and stained with the yellow and greenish taint of old bruises. No doubt some form of punishment, for what she could not even guess.

Even as they had appeared in the room, the woman had thrown Sheriam a look of surprise and recognition, but Sheriam was as good as certain she did not know her. She could channel too, and quite strongly.

"Take a seat," Shaidar Haran told Mesaana, even as he himself sat down in one of the dark, ornately worked chairs. Sheriam knew it was not intended for her and remained standing next to the Chosen.

"Verin, tell Graendal to bring tea."

This time Sheriam could not keep her surprise hidden. She looked at the woman again, even though she knew this body at least was not the old Verin at all, but the Great Lord could do that, give life to one who had died in a new body. That explained the injured hands, the bruises seemed about that old. And to be a servant to Shaidar Haran! That was one form of punishment that had never occurred to her, even when she had wondered if he were the one who lived in this otherwise normal-looking cottage. She felt no pity for the woman, even though they had once gotten along well enough.

And Graendal! Even as she pondered the situation, Verin had curtsied and disappeared through a door on the far side of the room. Moments later another servant came in, also beautiful and with even lusher hair than Verin now had, although it was golden rather than brown. Her hands were whole, the fingers long and slender, but she looked sunburned as if she had worked Moridin's fields.

Whether she had been one of the Chosen or not, Graendal moved as quick as Verin had. She curtsied deep as she served the tea, first to Shaidar Haran himself, then to Mesaana, who smiled as she took her cup. No doubt Shaidar Haran had chosen this venue with his two servants on purpose, to show his servants those they had tried to defeat were doing well, but also as a reminder that no matter how high one stood, a mistake could cause one to fall just as deep.

Only when Mesaana had her tea and Graendal had backed away to stand and wait in one of the corners of the room, did Shadar Haran speak up again.

"So tell me how you killed the Blacksmith."

Mesaana related the story truthfully and in detail, including her own fall and Sheriam's action that killed Aybara.

As the Chosen finished her report, Shaidar Haran looked at Sheriam as intensely as he had on the slopes of Shayol Ghul. She felt the cold seep into her, but like the previous time she did not look away.

"Interesting indeed. I will keep this in mind," the Myrddraal said. "As well as Moghedien's assistance. I give rewards as well as punishments. And speaking of such, Graendal, sent in Del'han."

Sheriam frowned slightly as she recognized the word, bound it meant in the Old Tongue.

The former Chosen curtsied and quickly left the room, to return moments later with a short man with thin, blond hair. He wore plain clothes but he walked tall, even here, that is until he saw Mesaana. Then he started and missed a step before he halted completely and knelt to Shaidar Haran.

The tall Myrddraal reached into his shirt and pulled out a crystal and wire mesh cube on a chain, like those Moridin had worn, and handed it to Mesaana.

"Del'han is still one of the Chosen, as his plans have been relatively successful up to his last mistake, but he will be under your command," he said.

Sheriam didn't recognize the artifact, but clearly Mesaana did.

"Thank you, Great One," she said and smiled as she took the item and slipped the chain around her neck. "I will put his talents to good use."

"I trust that you will," Shaidar Haran replied.

Del'han's face was an angry snarl, but he was pale rather than red, and Sheriam wondered whether this cube, which was clearly some controlling device, allowed one to feel the subject's emotions like the a'dam did.

Shaidar Haran got up from his seat, implyinging the meeting was over.

Despite the current favor she found herself in, Mesaana took care to rise quickly, and as she curtsied to Shaidar Haran, Sheriam knelt deeper.

"My house is warded against Travel with the One Power, let me return you," Shaidar Haran said, and even as he spoke the three of them suddenly found themselves on the slopes of Shayol Ghul where Sheriam and Mesaana had arrived. Clearly Shaidar Haran, in spite of his almost human behavior at the meeting, still did not care to exchange extensive goodbyes.

Mesaana immediately opened a gateway of her own, back to the White Tower. They arrived not in Sheriam's anteroom, where Gawyn would certainly wonder about the man's identity and how he got there with the Dreamspike in place, but in a small spare room in the Green's wing.

"At either the White Tower or the Black, you will be known as Dillan. Dillan.." she paused a moment, "Locke. Too many people know the Old Tongue and will wonder where you are from. A select few will know your identity and you will teach them, the male version of the turning to start with, and any useful weaves you have kept from Taim's men after that. Jahar Narishma is M'Hael now, you report to him when I am not around."

"A common Asha'man, barely trained?" Del'han protested. "You heard Shaidar Haran, I am still one of the Chosen."

"And under my command," Mesaana pointed out. "And I command you to serve under Jahar. And Sheriam, she is my second in command and you will take any order from her as if it is my own. Any slip and I will be quite displeased."

She stroked the crystal and wire construct, and Del'han shivered visibly.

Without paying him any more mind, she turned to Sheriam.

"The cour'souvra is made in Shayol Ghul, using blood and saliva of the subject. It allows the wearer complete control of the bound one, and has the advantage over other bonds in that it can be passed around among men and women alike, and it does not depend on a physical leash. Channeling in its presence is extremely painful for the subject, and touching it as it is worn by someone else causes instant death, as an extra precaution preventing the bound one from overpowering the one who holds the Mindtrap. Crushing it destroys the subject's mind completely," she explained. "You give the orders similar to compulsion, and the subject can feel whenever the wearer touches the cour'souvra, which can be useful to remind the subject of the duties given or to encourage him to try harder. Going completely against one's wishes is not possible, but especially when a lot of distance is involved or a given task is complicated, a subject may slack in the performance of his duties. Here, wear it and get a feel of it."

To Del'han's obvious disgust, Mesaana handed her the artifact. Sheriam took it and hung it around her neck, and found that she could feel the man's emotions -anger and disgust but some insecurity and plain fear as well, which hadn't shown in his actions after his brief when he had entered the room in Shaidar Haran's cottage. But contrary to the Warder bond, she had to actively think about his feelings, when she let her mind drift to the attempt at Bonding them, the sense of his emotions faded to a very dim level, as if a Warder were all the way across the continent or beyond.

She rubbed the surface of the cour'souvra, the ornate cage structure strangely cool in contrast to the crystal underneath, which was warm to her touch. She could feel the echo of Del'han's shiver. Then she thought of a small command, making him walk a circle, and indeed he did, scowling.

Mesaana nodded approval and Sheriam handed the Mindtrap back to her. Then the Chosen gave Del'han more detailed instructions about the teaching he had to do. She mentioned casually that if he did not apply himself, it would be Jahar wearing the cour'souvra, something which would be rather painful to his greater proximity.

Then the Chosen Traveled directly to the Black Tower. As she did, she showed Sheriam the key to the second Dreamspike, another sequence of flows before opening the gateway itself, and she told her how to Travel from one place with a Dreamspike to another one that was also protected by one. Counter-intuitive, one had to channel the sequence for the destination first, or it would not work.

Jahar was at one of the training fields, but with the Bond, finding him was no problem. He found them, approaching them through the Tower's streets, before they reached the field itself.

As Mesaana told him who Del'han/Dillan was, his face went grim and Sheriam could feel his dislike, but mixed in was also a desire to learn from the man.

Sheriam was not all of one mind about Demandred's resurrection either, she was glad that the men learning the turning weave would take some of the pressure off the sisters, and she trusted Mesaana would keep the man under control, but she loathed the man for what he had done to her, or to be exact had made Taim do to her. At least it was no Taim, she did not think she could bear to feel his thoughts again, not even dim as through the Mindtrap. Or to have him walk the earth again. She hoped the Great Lord had not given him a new body, but thought it not likely. Such things were rare enough, and the Great Lord would not use it on every one of his Dreadlords. Verin had surprised her too, even if she had known the Great Lord had made the snake tell of her treacherous plans.

And while it did feel good to be near Jahar again, Sheriam was still glad when Mesaana was done explaining her plans and the two of them returned to Tar Valon.

-0-

Jahar moved fast in the Black Tower, knowing he had less than two weeks before the Dragon would break the Seals and attempt to close the Bore. Had he taken only the key figures the day before, now he had his men take any and all. Demandred -Del'han- showed the men how to use the turning as Mesaana had ordered, but they still needed more, and the Aes Sedai turned as many as the men did. Sheriam had Silviana sent novices and Accepted to supplement the circles, those who had come to the Tower as Friends of the Dark were now called to action. Silviana was unhappy about the younger ones, but the need for numbers was pressing and they would have to get used to the Myrddraal, like it or not.

They had just two close calls. Gheral and Welyn took one recent arrival to the Tower, shielded him and tied him in Air, then took him through the gateway to Malkier before they physically touched him and discovered the Mask of Mirrors. Naeff, sent by the Dragon to contact those loyal to him. Obviously it was too late to back off, and they went ahead at all speed hoping he could take them to Nelavaire before she could raise the alarm. Thankfully, although Nelavaire had felt Naeff's alarm, the ones she had first ran into when she went looking for help were Cadsuane and Merise. She was brought in before the circle turning Naeff was halfway through.

The other close call was not such a risk in itself but certainly shook up those it happened to. The Asha'man returned to the Black Tower, together with his two bonded sisters, but when Mezar, Adrielle and Androl tried to get the three of them together, making up some impromptu excuse to request the presence of Toveine during their visit, Logain and Gabrelle shielded them instead. He then told them such a story worked once but only a fool would be caught by it twice, and to be on their way. In fact he had been caught by Taim and his men some days before, when he had returned to the Tower and became a 'nuisance', as Taim had said. He was surprised to find out he was one of many who had been turned, and after releasing his would-be captors reported to Jahar, who put him in charge of the Tower's guard. Logain accepted the position, although one could see he regretted not being available when the Dragon had to replace Taim. Jahar called in those who had done the turning with Taim, berated them and sent them off for a flogging for withholding such information from him.

-0-

By noon on the second day after Demandred's failed move, Jahar had collected his 'Darkfriends'. Nine men, eight random victims who were disguised as Asha'man who had been whisked away to yet another temporary shelter, and one of Taim's men who had tried to make the others gang up against Jahar, hoping to take over himself. The stocky Shienaran had not been near as popular as he had thought he was, and his friends had ratted him out.

Sheriam was present at the executions as much as a representative of the White Tower as well as a victim of Taim herself. She watched emotionlessly, distancing herself from what she knew to be a necessary evil. Jahar had more difficulty, she felt his discomfort held tightly in check, but close, so close to the surface.

And no axe, here. The men did everything with the One Power, and these executions were no exception. Jahar had picked the henchmen carefully, older men, soldiers in other armies before they came here and learned to channel, they at least would not hesitate to do what was necessary. And indeed they made it quick, small comfort for the men who died.

The Dragon was not present at the executions. He did commend Jahar for his quick actions, but he was too busy as he left Cairhien and moved to the Field of Merrilor that same day.

-0-

Even as al'Thor made his move, he requested his allies join him there. Some of course came immediately, his Aiel moved as he did, and Aybara's army, now led by Tam al'Thor, Faile and Berelain with her Mayeners, were there by nightfall. Elayne joined him as well with the Andorian lords and ladies loyal to her. Mat's redarms remained camped near Caemlyn, as Mat himself still hadn't been sighted, Miyasi reported.

Sheriam wasn't sure why al'Thor moved so quickly. He still hadn't shared the details of his plan, and no matter how great his armies were, gathering them all in one place made them a target, too. Perhaps al'Thor knew Moridin too, or at least Lews Therin did, and he would know there would be no attempt to take him until he had gone to the Bore itself.

But his early move left the cities unprotected. Only a day after Elayne had left Caemlyn, Trollocs attacked. Only a very small number of guards and channelers, mostly members of the kin, were left at the city, and by the time the messengers made it to the White Tower, the aid they asked for was just for Healing and shelter of the refugees.

Sheriam thought that between the two Towers, they could have swept the city even now the Trollocs had managed to get a foothold, and she was as surprised as Mesaana that Elayne did not request that. Was the woman influenced by another? It seemed impossible for such a thing to be done without alarming the Dragon. Mesaana even asked Del'han, but he had not gotten a hold of the woman, nor did anyone think it was likely to be Moridin.

Either way, the city was abandoned to the Trollocs and most of the refugees directed to Whitebridge. The White Tower provided Healing for those who needed it, citizens and soldiers alike. A few more who lived to fight again would not make the difference at the Last Battle and to refuse would be a clear sign that something was wrong.


	19. Of chaos and dreams

**Of chaos and dreams.**

That night, Egwene entered Tel'aran'rhiod for the first time in over a week. She did not walk the Dream often anymore since she had been taken, had avoided the Dream fearing to meet the Wise Ones. She did not want to meet Amys, Bair or Melaine. While she doubted the Wise Ones had any way of detecting the turning directly, these three were far too perceptive.

She entered the World of Dreams in the Two Rivers. Usually she appeared in her own bedroom, then thought herself to wherever it was she wanted to go. To appear here immediately showed how strongly she had thought of her old home, after hearing of the destruction of Caemlyn and so many other places in Andor and everywhere on the continent.

And Perrin. As much as of her home, she had been thinking of Perrin. She was standing not in front of the inn, her own home, but near the smithy, the place where he most often could be found in the year before they had left Emond's Field.

She was shocked by the state of the village. The last time she had been here, the village had grown, with many new houses, some even with slated roofs rather than thatch, in spite of the war the village had done well. Or because of it, for from what she heard many of the new arrivals had been refugees from places where the war had hit harder even back then.

Now, half the houses, old and new alike, were burned down, others still stood but had doors and shutters missing. Abandoned furniture and clothing lay in the muddy streets, which sported not a single fresh footprint. Was anyone left here? It didn't look that way, but because there were no people nor domesticated animals in the World of Dreams, any place could look eerily silent. It was hard to tell if some would still be holed up in the real world.

It was clear there would be no harvest, even if some had remained behind hoping to bring it in. All vegetation Egwene saw was sickly and brown, as bad as she had seen in the Waste, and even if any of the twisted plants would bear fruit, it would not be suited for human consumption. Seeing Emond's Field in this state made her sick. She had read the reports that Sheriam still shared with her, and she knew that her old village was no exception, but she had held hope that its secluded location had protected the Two Rivers after all the Great Lord had hunted were gone from there.

Yes, gone, never to return, and she had helped. That still felt unreal, as a bad dream. Ever since Perrin had been killed, no ever since she had written the letter that led him to his death, had he been in her thoughts. She knew it happened in any war, people from the same village who ended up on different sides, brothers fighting in opposing armies, such things were common in books and she had read about actual cases in the reports she had studied in recent months, when she had thought she would be the one to lead the White Tower into the Last Battle.

But she had never thought it would happen to her. They were such a small, close-knit village, where everyone was on the same side, even the Congars and the Coplins she did not really suspect to be Friends of the Dark at the time.

Now she doubted those certainties of her youth. If people like Sheriam, Larissa, Dawn, Marillin, Miyasi, Evanellein, Dagdara and all the others could be Black Ajah, who was to say none of her old friends was a Friend of the Dark? Or rather, she was willing to bet some _were_, old blood of Manetheren or not.

Whoever they were, it didn't look like they had been high enough to make the Trollocs spare their house or to keep the Blight-like disease from their crops. Egwene wandered through the depressing scenery until she was inevitably drawn towards the small hill just outside the town. The hill where all of Perrin's family was buried.

The graves themselves were untouched by the violence, but the vegetation was not spared. She looked at the names on the markers, all the way down to the smallest one of little Paet. It didn't look like Perrin had been buried here with them, he likely had found his grave at the site of his army's camp. She sat down in the brown, withered grass and lost herself in thought.

"So you can still come here. Do they not control your dreams too?"

Egwene jumped up, no, she _was_ up, instantly standing on her feet and turning around as she thought it so.

"Perrin!" she said breathlessly. So as a Wolfbrother, he walked the Dream now. They should have thought of that possibility! Relief and fear vied for first place inside her, relief at seeing him here with at least this much of a life, and fear for what he might remember.

"You startled me," she added as he remained silent, watching her.

"You shouldn't let your guard down so much, or do you no longer fear those who may sneak up on you here?" Perrin asked.

"What do you mean?" Egwene asked, biding for time.

"What is going on at the White Tower, Egwene?" Perrin asked.

"It was the Black Ajah."

Perrin looked sceptical. "I saw you there. I know of compulsion, do they hold you when you are awake?"

"I was not even there at the time. We pieced together some of what happened, from those who saw you arrive, but we do not know all. What do you remember?" Egwene asked back.

Perrin hesitated. Egwene could see he did not trust her completely, but their life-long close relationship won out.

"I don't remember that much, to be honest. I arrived at Tar Valon, the Keeper, Sheriam, met me there and led me into the Tower. She seemd nice enough, but she must have been in it. We got to your Study, and there were you at your desk, and an Accepted. That was all I remember, until I woke up here and found I could not return to my body."

"Sheriam was with me, we were in a meeting with some of the Asha'man. The Black must have known we were gone from the Tower, I had underestimated them and never thought them to be that bold, or I would have taken measures to prevent such a thing," Egwene improvised. She forced herself to keep her face straight, her breathing completely even.

"Prevent it how? If anyone can take on anyone's appearance, how can one still know whom to trust? How do I even know I am speaking with you instead of a Black sister?" Perrin shot back.

"You, Mat and Rand threw me and Bode with water on Sunday when I was seven years old, only Mat slipped and his full bucket ended up soaking you. No Black sister could know that," Egwene said.

Perrin nodded, but wasn't distracted. "So it is you. I did not really doubt it, a Black could not have copied your stance, your entire being so closely. But now, my other question."

"Those who can channel can detect the weaves, they can be hidden from the eye but not from touch. We knew the Black had impersonated Sheriam, some people saw her with you while she was in fact with me. I did not know someone had posed as me too, or even that the attack took place in my study, for you were seen to leave and your body was found elsewhere. Are you sure that was where it happened?"

"I have never died before, Egwene," Perrin said irritably. "I know these are my last memories, maybe they used some form of mind control on me and I can not recall it. Does one remember what happens when under compulsion?"

"No, generally one is told to forget," Egwene said, looking pensive. "They may even have given you a whole different memory of those last moments. You weren't seen after the first hallway, in fact I think it likely you were not even really taken to my study. There would be a higher chance of running into other sisters there."

Egwene came up with the lies and half-truths easily now, so easily it scared her. First she'd had to lie to Rand, now to Perrin. At least Rand still lived. She didn't know if he would be allowed to live past the Final Battle, but he could channel, could be turned. Perrin was dead, killed with her help, and now confined to this depopulated mirror world. But she'd had to do it, for all those in the White Tower, which she still felt protective about, as if it were still truly hers.

Perrin squinted his eyes, the yellow making the gesture eerie, even to Egwene. He was silent for a long moment before he shook his head and spoke.

"I don't know what to believe. I want to trust you, but so much has happened, I'm just not completely sure." He shook his head and sighed in frustration. "I can't do anything about it anyhow. Not anymore. There are... rules. I really should not even be talking to you. I hope to the Light you are speaking the truth. Go carefully, Egwene, and remember the fate of the world may depend on you and the White Tower."

With that, he turned and disappeared, before Egwene could even start to reply.

-0-

With pain in her heart, Egwene returned to her own body. Gawyn was by her side. Had he needed little sleep before, since she held his bond he seemed to make do with his Warder strength alone. He looked at her with concern in his eyes.

"Perrin walks the World of Dreams," Egwene said with a sigh, and only then she considered whether telling Gawyn was a good idea or not. She let out another sigh, even here in her own rooms, with her own Warder, she could not let down her guard.

"Isn't that good news?" Gawyn asked. "Why are you so anxious and sad?"

"He can not truly help from there. It will be worse for him just to be confined there and watch, whatever happens here," she replied. She used a light compulsion to push the half-lie home, as some of the Green had shown her. It hurt to have to lie to Gawyn, almost as much as it hurt to lie to Perrin, but it couldn't be helped. And she had to send him away so she could warn Mesaana and Sheriam.

"Would you go to the kitchens and have them make me some foxtail and marisin tea?" she asked. "Nynaeve should still have some."

That should keep him out of the way for a little while, that particular tea had to brew for some fifteen minutes at least. And she might genuinely need it after what she had to do. Would Mesaana try to go after Perrin in Tel'aran'rhiod too? She had to warn the Chosen, to hold back was to risk the lives of so many more. Trying to suppress the apprehension she felt, she channeled into the Call rod, warning Mesaana and Sheriam.

Sheriam was the first to arrive, Mesaana came in moments later.

"Perrin walks Tel'aran'Rhiod," she told them.

Sheriam started. "Of course, he was a wolfbrother!"

"Darkness within, we should have thought of that," Mesaana cursed. "Tell me about it."

Egwene carefully related the meeting, while Sheriam and Mesaana listened.

"So he won't take direct action to contact al'Thor," the Chosen concluded.

"I don't think so," Egwene said. "He is -was- not the one to break the rules. Well, every boy does sometimes, but he did far less than Mat or even Rand. He won't seek out anyone's dreams if such a thing is forbidden. But I am certain he will speak to Rand if he runs into him in the World of Dreams."

"And al'Thor knows he is a Wolfbrother. I am surprised the two of them have not met yet." Mesaana mused. "Damn. And I can't take him on in there. I could notify the man with two souls, buy Aybara is a match even for him. If only we could work together, but I couldn't trust him that far. At least he is no longer ta'veren, that stops at death, even for a Wolfbrother."

"We should take some measures that would stop one from getting into the Tower in a disguise," Sheriam suggested. "No doubt Rand has eyes-and-ears here, it must seem as if Egwene is indeed putting a stop to any such subterfuge."

Mesaana nodded. "It will be a further drain on our resources, but make it convincing. At least those on the side of the Light are inclined to trust those they grew up with, much more so than Friends of the Dark who know from early age not everyone is as they seem to be. Instruct Cadsuane and Merise to pay close attention to al'Thor, especially soon after waking."

"It will be done," Sheriam replied. "We should also make use of the thief-taker, Egwene would have welcomed his services."

Egwene nodded. "I would have, he has helped Nynaeve and Elayne so well."

"I will pair him up with Moria, she can control him," Sheriam decided. "And Amathera as well, if necessary."

Thus it was done. As Mesaana was satisfied everything that could be done for the moment was done, they parted. Egwene roused some people to action immediately, while Sheriam sent messages summoning others to see her immediately after breakfast, and by then Gawyn returned with the tea.

He was clearly unhappy he had been left out of the discussion between her and Sheriam -he thought- about the measures taken because of what Perrin had told her, but he was her Warder, not Captain-General of the Tower Guard. To appease him, and to ease her own mind about deceiving him, she agreed to a couple small suggestions he made about the security of the Tower, like the closing one of the servants' entrances, and then she drank the tea he had brought. It _was_ good to have something to help her sleep after all this!

-0- -0-

The next day, Mesaana watched as the sisters who had gone to Caemlyn return, only a few accompanying the refugees to Whitebridge, as there were some who had been so grievously wounded they needed more care.

She cared very little about the townsfolk, all Elayne's people, but she read the reports as she wanted to know what Moridin was up to. She did not doubt he was the one who had orchestrated the raid. The Trollocs had slaughtered anyone they could, closing the gates and trapping as many people in as possible. Every dwelling that could burn, had been, and stone buildings had been torn down, preferably with people cowering inside. The refugees often came out with terrible wounds, and the Yellow sisters had worked a full day to Heal as many as they could.

She noticed with interest that the report also mentioned Nynaeve had Healed one of Mat's men who had taken a Trakan'dar blade, not a small feat even for one as skilled at Healing as she was. Yes, almost a child still compared to those of her own age, but with potential. In time, the young woman might become as strong a Healer as Semirhage had been.

Other than that and keeping track of Moridin's deeds, she cared little about Caemlyn or any other of the places ravaged by chaos or raids. She filed away the reports and went on with the next order of business. Which was another message about a Trolloc attack, this time on Three Oaks, a tiny village on the Tar Valon road, not too far to the south. This was her concern. Technically, Tar Valon was a city-state, and the Amyrlin ruled only over the town itself. But in practice, the writ of the Tower went well beyond that, all the way up to the Andoran and Cairhien border. While the Tower owned no lands there, the produce from the farms had been sold directly to the Tower for generations, and the Tower had helped with small nuisances like vermin or diseased crops as if it were one of the villages at the foot of the bridges. And no matter what the maps said, everyone knew this. Well, perhaps not the Trollocs themselves, but certainly the Myrddraal leading them did. And whoever had sent them to scourge that area. Mesaana saw this as a definite infringement on her territory.

"What for Darkness' sake does he expect us to eat after the War," she cursed to Sheriam, who had handed her the pre-sorted reports. "It's going to be hard enough with the blasted Blight infesting the crops all the way down to the Sea of Storms. Thank you for bringing this to my attention."

-0-

Without waiting for a reply, she Traveled. This time, she did not invite Sheriam along, she would take care of this herself.

She had arrived at the Myrddraal's camp and quickly found one of the Fades who had led the attack on the village. To her annoyance, it had refused to promise it would stay out of the area, stating the orders came from Moridin, the Nae'blis, himself, and she had no authority to change those plans. Nothing she had said had convinced it otherwise, and she had finally sent a message to Moridin, requesting to see him.

That, she dreaded. Once, when she had just gone over to the Shadow and the destruction of all valuable resources pained her, she had suggested another way. He had put her down forcefully then, so forcefully she had never brought it up again, even when she had gained in rank and stood among the Chosen herself. Now, he still stood well above her, even though he had been killed and had been given a new body, a new name. But she was one of few others left, and highest among them. She could at least try.

Moridin took his time getting back to her, not until the next afternoon did he summon her. The message reached her as she walked into the sisters' dining hall with Namine and Janya, but she excused herself and left. She still kept her disguise carefully hidden, even now, but it was far less of a risk to make two of the turned wonder about her behavior than to make Moridin wait, even for a short while.

She Traveled to Moridin's castle deep within the Blight, enabled to do so by his invitation but still cautious. He would not leave any of his traps up on purpose, but as Ishamael he had been shockingly careless with the wellbeing of his followers, high and low. It would be just like him to forget some trap or other even if she had been summoned.

Fortunately, all was well and she stepped through into the room where Moridin had received her several times before. She let the gateway close, channeled the cooling weaves around herself, then released Saidar. She looked around the room, the overtly-dramatic black and red, and selected the least uncomfortable of the chairs. The furniture had clearly been selected for effect rather than comfort. She sat down and waited.

And waited. It took quite some time before Moridin entered, sauntering in as if he had all the time in the world.

"Ah, there you are," he said, as if surprised she was there already, then leisurely took a seat in one of the other chairs.

Mesaana did not show her irritation. He still stood well above her, and she wanted something from him, she should not let herself be drawn out.

"Thank you for seeing me," she said instead.

Moridin seemed to relax slightly when she did not take the bait, and he got down to business. "What did you want to see me about?"

"One of the villages on the Tar Valon road was raided by Trollocs," Mesaana said, just as much to the point. "Much too close to the city."

"Oh, that place," Moridin said casually. "It does not belong to the White Tower."

"Not officially, but the farmers sell to the Tower exclusively for generations, and it has been under Tar Valon protection," Mesaana said.

"Even if it is, what is it to you? They were just farmers, not Aes Sedai."

"Aes Sedai have to eat," Mesaana pointed out.

"There will be no harvest this year, raid or no raid," Moridin said as he made a dismissive gesture with his hand.

"But there would have been the year after," Mesaana said. "Look, the Breaking of the World may be necessary, but there should be _something_ left to rebuild. What good is it to rule a world without people? And I would like to have at least basic comforts. It is primitive enough already compared to our own Age."

"There is only you and me left, and Moghedien if she can continue to redeem herself," Moridin said. He casually played with the chain around his neck and Mesaana noticed it held only one cour'souvra now. So Moghedien had been rewarded for her help with the Blacksmith, that was good to know.

"I have built quite a collection of useful items," Moridin continued, "Which I am willing to share with those who serve well. That should do well enough, better than you are used to at the Tower now, I would say."

"There are others who have served me," Mesaana said. "No doubt many will die before all is over, and I won't cry over them, but I do not intend to let the survivors starve. That kind of waste is simply not necessary."

Moridin scowled. "I fail to see what a few farmers matter, but if it truly makes you happy, I will tell the Fades to stay a bit further from your precious city. But that is all I will do. The other places, any village, town or city I can send them to, will be burned like Caemlyn was. The little these people have rediscovered is worthless compared to what we had, it can't make much of a difference."

Mesaana knew she would get no more. She nodded. "Then that will have to do."

"Mesaana, you have done well lately. Keep it up and you will be rewarded," Moridin promised.  
Something that shouldn't need to be said, and when said, was as much of a reminder for her to not overstep her current position as it was a promise of future rewards.

"Thank you," Mesaana said, as if she had only taken the words that were spoken at face value, then stood. "If I may?"

Moridin nodded, and she opened a gateway back to Tar Valon.

-0-

As she stepped through the gateway Mesaana felt her old anger and frustration rise again. True, there wasn't much to lose compared to what they had once had, but the Tower's eyes-and-ears had reported on the schools al'Thor had set up. At first she had scoffed at their primitive and pitiful discoveries, but in recent weeks she had realized that these people, children as they were, could be taught, and teaching one who had already taken the first steps on the road of discovery would be easier than trying to teach just any craftsman who had never thought to experiment beyond what he was taught by his Master.

But Moridin had mentioned these people before she had even brought them up, showing he too remembered her cautious suggestion so many centuries ago, and that his opinion of it hadn't changed.

Damn the man, why out of all people did he have to be Nae'Blis? Was it true that the Great Lord would require the destruction of every bit of mankind, every bit of the established world, save for a handful of them, before allowing them to rebuild? Chaos was often part of his orders, but when she and Rahvin had run their territories in a more orderly manner, they had both received approval from the Great Lord as well, as long as they had their people well in hand and any battles had gone their way. And just the same now, when Shaidar Haran was not put off by her taking of the Aes Sedai rather than destroying them, and the chaos in the Tower had stopped when she had it in firm control. No, no matter what Moridin thought, Mesaana was certain it was a method rather than the Great Lord's ultimate goal. His goal was to break free and to rule, and that she would do her best to make happen. She wished she had any chance to stand up against Moridin, but even with Demandred's help, voluntary or not, she knew her chances were dim. Her more realistic goal was to do well enough to be able to get a good-sized part of the world to rule, and leeway to rule her territories as she saw fit. At least Aginor was gone for good, with his ridiculous demands for humans as Trolloc fodder.

She gave an irritated shake of her head before she took on her disguise of Danelle, and left her room for a second try at supper.

That evening, she sent Karale, Evanellein and Melvara on a raid to al'Thor's school in Cairhien, but they only found a few of the would-be scholars there. Several had gone with al'Thor to the Field of Merrilor, as their inventions were used in some way as weapons or defense, and some had left the city when al'Thor did, afraid the city would be attacked and destroyed now the Dragon was no longer there to defend it. She should have struck sooner, even early on when those whose weapons now were used by al'Thor and his allies were still there!

Still she considered the raid a success, when she heard among those the Black sisters had taken was a man called Melvin Poel, who had been working on a steam engine. That alone was worth the effort. The man seemed to stand firmly in the Light and heavy compulsion nor breaking him with torture would do his intellect any good, but that was of later concern. For now, he was locked in the cellars on the farm and as safe from the war as any could be.

-0-

The next morning Mesaana Traveled to the Black Tower, to check on Del'han and remind him she could come see him any time at all. She had also wanted to see Jahar, but Sheriam had told her after they had gone over the White Tower business that he had Traveled far to the North, no doubt summoned by al'Thor.

She considered changing her plans and seeing about the Black Tower later, but then she decided she could get some things done even if Jahar wasn't there.

After seeing to Del'han, she studied the reports on Jahar's desk at the manor house. She approved, even before they had taken over the Black Tower had been ran efficiently, most of the supplies were manufactured in the village itself and food was purchased wherever it was cheapest. Taim too had realized they were in no way limited to the local market. Most men had been taken by now, and the open, official efforts had also been switched from recruiting to training those already here. With days to go until al'Thor would make his move on Shayol Ghul, any new recruits would be useless to them even at the quick pace the men were taught. There was one report that stood out, the murder of one of the Asha'man. One of those who had been Taim's had been found dead, stabbed and his throat cut, in the back room of his own house. But any larger town had its share of violence and crime, it was more likely a private matter than anything that affected their plan.

Then she heard a commotion outside, shouts and jeers coming closer. She got up and looked out the window to see a group of men hauling someone towards the manor house, who she could not even make out from up here. She turned and went to the front of the house, reaching the entrance just as the men arrived at the steps leading up to the door.

There were eight men, all full Asha'man, and she could now see their captive was a Red sister, Tarna Feir. She appeared to be gagged with Saidin, struggling to speak while no sound came out, but the men dragged her along physically, pulling her along roughly by her arms. Some punched her, some egged the ones who did so on, others called for Jahar.

"Jahar is at the Field of Merrilor. What is going on?" she asked.

The men came to a halt, started as they saw her and bowed deep, but came up immediately as they kept part of their attention on their captive. The two who held the Red now threw her down on the steps.

"Murder, Great One."

"She stabbed Irwyn, Great Mistress, and no doubt she is the one who killed Coteren as well, he too was killed with a knife, in a similar way. But this time we caught her red-handed!"

That last quite literally, Mesaana noted as she looked at the woman laying at her feet. And her dress had more than a little blood on it too. The guilt of the woman seemed without doubt, but she remembered the previous time they had met, too. The woman had been taken and turned by Taim's men, and while no one had told Mesaana the details and she hadn't asked, she had a pretty good idea what had happened.

"And what do you want?" she asked calmly.

"Let us hang her, Great One!" one called.

"She should be Stilled and executed," a second shouted.

"Justice!" called another.

"Justice?" Mesaana echoed sharply, and the men fell quiet again. Scornfully, she looked down at them. A rag-tag, rowdy bunch, no matter their strength in the One Power. "I believe justice was just done. And if I may suggest, if you can not protect yourselves against the consequences of your actions, perhaps you should stick to tavern wenches instead. Now release her and get out of here before I decide what she did was not enough."

The men had gone quiet and paled as she spoke, and now they almost fell over one another as they bowed, stammered their apologies and moved off, some breaking literally into a run. Not as strong as their strength in the Power suggested, at all.

Tarna pushed herself up to where she was kneeling, head bent low. "Thank you, Great Mistress," she said.

"I understand the need for revenge," Mesaana replied. "However, the Last Battle is soon and these men, even the less savory ones, are useful weapons. Two will have to do."

"Three," Tarna said. "They haven't found the fat Illianer yet."

Mesaana looked at the Red sister with new appreciation. When they had come to the Black Tower the first time she'd had to send Sheriam along to gather the rest of Elaida's delegation, the Red had been so shaken. But it seemed the sister had a backbone after all. She smiled. "Three, then. Rise, return to the White Tower and get yourself cleaned up."

"Yes, Great Mistress, thank you, Great Mistress." With a deep curtsy, Tarna channeled and went back to Tar Valon, as Mesaana watched her go.

-0- -0-

Finally, Rand had told them his plans. It had been days since he had moved to the Field of Merrilor, and he had stalled, Egwene suspected he himself had not decided on the exact course of action. She and Jahar Traveled to meet with Rand every day, sometimes with Nynaeve and Lan as well.

At first she had worried Rand might notice the compulsion on Lan, but Nynaeve had him pretty well under control and so much had happened to Lan -Moiraine's presumed death, his bond to Myrelle, now his bond to Nynaeve, and then to have Moiraine show up again, that had been just the previous day, when she had walked into the camp together with Mat and Thom Merillin. Any change in his behavior could be attributed to those things instead.

They had met, discussing strategies, but mostly waiting for Rand to come up with the final plan, for he was the Dragon Reborn, and the decision would be his.

Finally he had made up his mind. He had long been torn between using Callandor with only Aviendha and Nynaeve, whilst Nynaeve led, but eventually he had decided to take the risk and use the Sword that was not a Sword in a full circle of seventy-two. The Taint gone, the flaw would be less pronounced, less likely to break out, and he reasoned that as the Dragon he would have to be the one to lead and do the actual sealing of the Bore, not Nynaeve or any other woman.

He requested of her and Jahar that they picked their Aes Sedai and Asha'man to fill the circle, and another group to hold a shield above them and form a first line of defense, together with the Warders who would insist on taking part but could not help with the sealing of the Bore itself. A wider ring would protect their backs, channelers who wouldn't have to hold a shield but could only defend against outside attacks. Beyond that, a ring around all of Shayol Ghul, which included Mat's and Perrin's armies, as well as the Aiel. The Borderlanders, Bryne's men, and the various other nobles would meet the Trollocs at Tarmon's Gap and other, lesser gaps to protect the Borderlands best they could. The South was protected only by the promise of the Seanchan Empress to refrain from all attacks during the days of the Last Battle, as Fortuona refused to give any actual aid. As per Mesaana's orders, of course.

The meeting had been interrupted by reports of a violent attack on Cairhien, but Rand had not been distracted. He told the messenger that he had known Cairhien would be destroyed when he took it as his base, and while he felt sorry for the people of the city, he could not allow the Dark One to disrupt this meeting.

Egwene had been shocked at his hardness, and surprised, although the last not so much after Elayne had taken a similar decision about Caemlyn. This was not the Rand she knew, who would help anyone he could. She had mentioned such, and all he had said was that he had to save the world, not individual cities or people. He had asked for assistance in Healing the refugees but he said he could not afford the time or effort to sweep the city clean as he had done with Maradon.

After that, he had continued the meeting, his voice even harder and more grim than before, his orders decisive and clear. The attack seemed to have fueled his determination more than anything.

As soon as the meeting was over, she, Nynaeve and Jahar had reported to Mesaana and Sheriam, who had together with the Asha'man assigned the places in the circle and then the other positions. Then, the Myrddraal had come. Mesaana, Sheriam, Jahar and the Fade had gathered around her desk, studying maps of the continent.

Egwene wasn't even sure why she was included. Siuan had taught her well, but Mesaana had centuries more experience, and Sheriam was as capable as Siuan when she wasn't selectively holding back. Perhaps it was intended mostly so she would know what the four of them decided, and what she had to tell Rand, since he could not yet learn that she no longer truly held her position of power. Even so, she at one time made a suggestion and it was well received.

To her surprise, the Myrddraal did not push for unlimited slaughter. She had thought, even now, that Myrddraal hated humans and could only barely control the bloodlust of the large Trolloc armies, but it readily agreed to keep the Trollocs back from the armies they controlled, making them faint attacks, stalling for time.

Mesaana, who stood in what had been Egwene's place so briefly, picked up a map of the Blight and put it on top of the pile.

"Al'Thor seems to expect a attack from the slopes of Shayol Ghul itself, for he has ordered a group of channelers and Aiel for this position," she said, pointing at what could have been a dead end or a pass -the map did not include any detail of the mountain itself.

The Myrddraal shook its head. "It looks like a pass, but it is not. Not even the cloven-hoofed Trollocs can traverse that route. But it can be used to take on the Aiel, if the Asha'man can drive them into the supposed pass. It dead-ends after two leagues, a perfect trap."

Egwene _felt_ the gasp at the same instant she heard it. She whirled, weaving the flows of compulsion even before she had fully turned.

Gawyn's eyes glazed over. "I am sorry, Egwene, I should not have disturbed you and your guests."  
Mesaana wrapped him in Air, tying him up as well as plugging his ears. "How did he get in here, didn't you set the wards?" she demanded.

"You didn't include Gawyn in the ward," Sheriam concluded. "Didn't anyone tell you a ward needs to be woven specifically to keep one's Warder out, if you want it to stop him?"

Even as she spoke, Egwene realized her mistake. She knelt and bowed her head.

"I am sorry. Irna did tell me, but with everything that had happened that night I bonded him, I forgot."

Mesaana hissed in irritation, and Egwene hardly dared to breathe, bracing herself for pain.

"After what Elaida tried to do, it seems physical pain doesn't affect you, at least not anything I could do to you that wouldn't show. And yet I want to make sure you do not forget such a thing again," Mesaana said. "Ah, yes. Gawyn will take the lashing, twenty lashes from a Trolloc whip. You will go with the Myrddraal after the meeting, and get it taken care of."

Egwene felt the blood drain from her face as she heard the Chosen, but she knew better than to protest or even show her dismay. No matter how reasonable Mesaana had been as long as everything went well, she was not lenient when one made a mistake. And she was right about one thing -Egwene promised herself to never, ever be so careless again. Her voice shook as she answered, "Yes, High Mistress."

-0-

She had gone with the Myrddraal, to their barracks, where it had ordered one of the Trollocs to do the whipping. Each stroke had hurt as if it landed on her back. She had compelled him as she had taken him, but had to release the compulsion during the whipping itself, and she felt his confusion and befuddlement through the physical pain.

Once again she had to betray the one she loved, and while this time it was not fatal, it was hard, perhaps even harder, because it was so useless. No lives were saved this time, there was no benefit to anyone. It was all her fault for making a mistake, for putting them all at risk by forgetting such a small but important instruction about the wards. Riddled by guilt, she had rewoven the compulsion and Traveled back to Tar Valon.

-0-

And now they were here in her bedroom, late at night. She un-did the compulsion once again.  
Gawyn slowly came to his senses. He shook his head then looked at her, and she could feel his confusion fade, to be replaced by sadness.

"I wish I could believe that what I saw is just a bad dream, but I know it's not. Egwene, a Myrddraal? Nothing can be worth that."

"I am sorry Gawyn," Egwene answered. "I serve the Great Lord."

"Not of your own free will," Gawyn said. "What did they do to you? And how did they get to you? It must have been after you purged the Black sisters from the Tower."

"Some knew how to beat the Oath Rod. Most, in fact. Including Sheriam. She and Mesaana took me when you were right outside the door, but don't blame yourself, you could not have known. If anything, it was me who firmly believed the test was valid and those who held the Oath Rod could not be Black Ajah. And Gawyn, what they did to me is not a mere compulsion, it is irreversible."

Unlike what Nynaeve had told her about Lan, Gawyn did not argue that part. Instead, she could feel sadness and resignation.

"And what does that mean for me, for us?" he asked after a pause.

"That is for a large part up to you," she replied. "Not now of course, I can not let you go now. But after, if you want me to, I will release you from the Bond."

Even as she spoke she could feel that very idea caused him as much anguish and resistance than her first admission that she served the Great Lord. It did not take long for him to make up his mind.

"That will not be necessary. Egwene, if I could have stopped them from taking you, I would have. But I couldn't, and I didn't. I love you, I will follow you to the Pit of Doom if you ask me to." He knelt before her. "I swore to protect you, even before you Bonded me. I failed to protect you from the Shadow but I will not abandon you to it."

Relief flooded through her. She knew many Warders remained faithful to their Black Ajah sisters, and she had hoped, fervently hoped, that Gawyn would too, but she had not been completely sure. She wasn't sure anyone could be, it was no small thing to ask of a man who walked in the Light. She reached out and pulled him up.

"Thank you, Gawyn. I can not express how much that means to me."

She reached for the jar of healall salve she had one of the servants bring to her room earlier. At least herbs and salves were allowed, even if Healing was not.

"I'm sorry about this," she apologized even as she took off his shirt and gently rubbed some salve on his wounds. "This was my fault. I forgot to set the ward so it included you, Irna had told me the night I bonded you. You weren't supposed to know until after the battle, none of the Warders are. And after what Elaida did to me, Mesaana knew a beating wouldn't mean much to me."

"And yet we must serve her," Gawyn said. "But if it must be, it must be."

"Until just three weeks ago, I would never have believed it, but she seems fair as long as one does not fail her," Egwene said. "Elaida was a harsher ruler, and she supposedly stood in the Light. Nor are the raids on the cities Mesaana's doing."

"But she holds the Tower? The other Aes Sedai?" Gawyn concluded.

Egwene nodded. "All sisters in the Tower, and most Asha'man."

She could tell even if he had sworn to follow her, the news still shocked him. But she trusted him, he would not break his word. He just needed some time to get used to the new circumstances.

"We will have to make the best of it somehow," he said finally. "May the world forgive us."

Egwene nodded wordlessly. She was done with the salve, and she put the jar aside. Then she drew him in a gentle embrace, careful of the marks on his back. He returned her caress, slowly at first, then more eagerly as they felt each other's desire.

All this time, Egwene had held him off, afraid to take the final step to taking him into her bed, reluctant to do so while she knew she was holding so much back from him. But now the last barrier between them was gone. As he sought her mouth to kiss her, this time she did not stop him.

-0- -0-

For several nights, Perrin had walked Tel'aran'rhiod before he found Rand. He had wondered why Rand did not come, if Rand would not realize that he, Perrin, walked here now.

Perhaps it was unnecessary. He had walked Tar Valon too, and as far as anyone could tell from here, Egwene had increased the guard at the Tower. Checkpoints had shown up, still fading in and out as they hadn't been in place long, but they would be solid in the real world. Proclamations that everyone, high or low, servant or Aes Sedai, visitor or delivery boy or permanent resident, was to be checked by the sisters at the entrance to the Tower itself. Other proclamations offered reward to anyone bringing those responsible for the attack to justice, with the added caution that the attackers were very dangerous indeed, and to warn the Tower guard rather than to take action alone.

Perhaps Egwene did have matters well in hand, or as much as anyone could, this close to the Last Battle. The city itself was still in good shape, while so many other places were suffering from far more frequent attacks, not to mention Caemlyn razed completely and the previous day Cairhien, too. Was he overreacting about one relatively minor attack because it had killed him? Even so, when he felt Rand's presence, he thought himself nearby.

Rand was not lost in thought. Not him, not here. That was the one thing that still bothered him about the meeting with Egwene, she had let her guard down as if she had nothing to fear. Or had she been that upset by his death? She was strong, Amyrlin now, but she was not a soldier, was not used to seeing her friends fall in battle or sneak attacks.

"It is me, Rand," he said quietly, even as he dismissed the flows of Saidin that had momentarily held him.

"Perrin. I am glad to see you here," Rand said, but the relief from his words did not sound through in his voice. His voice was hard, as hard as his eyes, unblinking. "But it won't be enough."

"Don't say that," Perrin replied.

"Haven't you felt it?" Rand asked. "You, me and Mat, we must all be there for the Last Battle, or I will fail, and the world will fall to the Shadow."

"You are the Dragon Reborn, the prophesies make no mention of us. We are friends, we set out together, but you can finish it alone. It is you the world needs, Rand. And Mat is still alive, is he not?" Perrin tried.

Rand laughed harshly. "Yes, Mat is alive, and he still has his luck. It'll have to be enough, won't it? Even I can't go back in time and make you live again. But I worry, Perrin, I worry."

"I wish nothing more than to be able to be there with you and Mat, but I can't, and I refuse to believe all hope is lost. That however wasn't what I wanted to speak to you about. I am concerned about Egwene, and the White Tower."

"She has sent me a letter," Rand replied. "Oh, I'm sure she did not tell me everything, but it seems to fit with what my eyes-and-ears tell me."

The casual admission that Rand was spying on Egwene, and that Egwene was expected to hold back information even if she wasn't controlled by the Black Ajah, hurt. Perrin knew from Faile that all rulers spied on their allies, friends, and even family members, but he had refused to send out eyes-and-ears to Cairhien and Tar Valon. He suspected Faile had done so on her own accord, and he had never explicitly forbidden her to do so, but he hated it. And yet here he was, speaking to Rand because he was unsure about Egwene himself.

"Raids by the Black Ajah were only to be expected," Rand continued, "It was inevitable since some had escaped the purge. But all reports suggest she has the Tower well in hand."

"I wish I could be so sure of that," Perrin replied.

Rand sighed, showing a small crack in his hard features. "Actually I am not all certain, but I have to believe she does. I need her, Perrin, her and the White Tower. There are sisters elsewhere, with me and in the Black Tower, but it is essential that the two Towers stand as one at Shayol Ghul."

"At least be wary of the Keeper, Sheriam Bayanar," Perrin argued. "Egwene trusts her, says whoever I met was only someone posing as her, but I'm not convinced."

Rand laughed, a real laugh this time. "Sheriam is under control." He told Perry briefly what had happened. "So you see, while Taim tried to get a hold of her, now Jahar holds her Bond. I would not have suggested or ordered it, but it is convenient. He is one of the few people I trust."

Perrin had frowned as Rand spoke. He didn't fully understand what the Bond did, not like those who could channel, but he knew it allowed one to feel what the other party felt, and the one who held the bond had some measure of control over their Warder. More than that, the male version seemed to be very strong indeed. An Aes Sedai might know a lot about scheming and manipulating, but Sheriam seemed to be held as securely as anyone could be.

"For the Light's sake, I hope you are right," he said.

"So do I, Perrin, so do I," Rand replied.

With nothing more to be said, they took their leave. Rand disappeared from the Dream and Perrin stood for a long time, wishing he too had a body he could return to, instead of being stuck here in this half-life.

-0- -0-

Jahar had initially intended to Travel to Shol Arbela alone, but he was glad Sheriam had offered to come along. Of course, there would be no problem taking his entire family by himself, yet he was uneasy about confronting them and he was grateful for her presence.

He Traveled to his old home. It was a simple house, two stories, with a workshop and kitchen downstairs and bedrooms upstairs. He wove his gateway in the workshop, which at this time of the evening was empty as he had expected, so he did not startle his family even at his entrance. Several half-finished pieces of furniture were laying around, and a few finished pieces stood against one wall. A ladder led up to the second floor, and the door to the kitchen was closed. It smelled strongly of fresh wood and shavings, but the floor was cleanly swept.

"Dad?" Jahar called out.

Immediately the kitchen door opened. His father stood in the opening.

"Jahar?" he started, then was almost bowled over as Yusha pushed her way through.

Jahar smiled broadly as his youngest sister rushed up to him. He caught her in his arms and hugged her, lifting her off the floor. She was immediately followed by Ayitah.

"You're back, you're back!" his sisters called out together.

Suddenly they noticed his black coat, the sword and dragon pns on it.

Ayitah got wide-eyed and she only threw a quick glance at Sheriam, who had followed him in.

"Is it true what you wrote, can you channel and are an Asha'man?" she asked him.

"Asha'man and M'Hael of the Black Tower," Jahar said.

His sisters gasped, but he did not pause long.

"Sheriam Sedai, Keeper of the Chronicles at Tar Valon," he continued, introducing her to his sisters, his father and his brother, Asim, who had by now come from the kitchen as well.

All four greeted her respectfully, with bows and curtsies. Ayitah now looked at her wide-eyed, and perhaps a little ashamed of her quick glance earlier.

"Can we go into the kitchen to talk?" he asked.

"Of course," his father replied. He looked about as stunned as Jahar had ever seen him, but still managed to sound calm.

Ayitah darted into the kitchen just as quick as she had emerged.

"She has the spark, Jahar," Sheriam said as they followed. "She hasn't channeled yet but she will soon. And she's strong."

Jahar wasn't very surprised, they had known for a while that channeling was hereditary. Even so, it was strange to hear it about his own sister.

"And Yusha?" he asked, though he knew she was very young.

As expected, Sheriam shook her head. "I don't know yet."

They had by now entered the kitchen.

"Would you like some tea, Sheriam Sedai?" Ayitah asked, curtsying again. "Or anything else? Jahar, are you really an Asha'man?"

"Ayitah, calm down," their father admonished her, looking uneasy at Sheriam.

"It's al right," Sheriam said. "I would like some tea, Ayitah."

Ayitah managed to pour a cup of hot tea for Sheriam and for him. Jahar took it from her, still smiling. Sure, sometimes she had driven him crazy, but he suspected all younger sisters did that to older brothers. He was really fond of both his sisters.

"Yes, I am Asha'man," Jahar said when they had their tea and were seated.

"The Taint really is gone, then?" his father said.

"The Taint will not be a problem," Jahar replied. He sighed. He hadn't wanted to barge in and take his family without any kind of explanation, but how could he possibly explain they served the Great Lord?

"I said there was more. Mesaana rules the White Tower and has taken most of those who can channel. The Bore will be opened completely, and it is almost certain Shol Arbela will be overran. I want you to come to the Black Tower with me."

If his family had been stunned before, that was nothing by how they looked now.

"I don't believe it," Asim said flatly.

"You can't be a Darkfriend, you're my brother," Ayitah threw in.

His dad looked at him for a long moment. "You would not joke about something like that," he said finally.

"I still don't… Why?" Asim asked.

"We didn't have a choice, we were taken too. But that makes no difference now," Jahar said.

"Anyone who can channel can be turned to the Great Lord," Sheriam explained. "It had not been done since the Trolloc Wars, and it was never used on such a large scale before, but this time we have turned all Aes Sedai and Asha'man."

"I never knew anything like that could be done," Jahar's father said quietly.

"It wasn't something we wanted others to know about. Not even all Aes Sedai knew," Sheriam replied.

"What did you do?" Yusha asked Jahar, pulling on his sleeve. She had not understood everything but she heard the tone of her father's and brother's voice and she sounded scared.

"It'll be al right," Jahar told her gently.

"Yusha, come here," Asim told her, looking uneasily at him.

"Oh, come on Asim, Jahar won't hurt her, or any of us," Ayitah said as she got up and joined them.

Jahar smiled at her, grateful for her support. It was more than he had hoped for.

"It hasn't changed who I am. We took those we turned by force, but we took care not to hurt them," he said.

"So you will take us to the Black Tower. What will happen to those who stay here, our friends and neighbors?" his dad asked.

"I can't take everyone out of here, they wouldn't want to come and we can not turn everyone. I do not know what will happen here, we intend to take the Dragon quickly and open the Bore, then stop the rest of the fighting. But Borderlanders are likely to fight back, even against impossible odds. That is why I want you out of here, at least for now," Jahar explained.

"How can you be so sure the Forsaken will stop the fighting once the Bore is open. If there is anyone left to kill once the Dark One is free. They are not trustworthy people," Asim argued.

"Mesaana is," Jahar replied. "She wants to rebuild, in time regain what was lost in the Age of Legends."

"Do we have any choice?" his father asked.

"No," Jahar said honestly. "If it were just you and Asim, I would not like it but I would not make you come, I would only compel you to forget what I said until the battle is over. But Ayitah will have to come, to the White Tower for her. She has the spark, like me. She will channel, and she has to learn how to control it. And I'm not leaving Yusha here, for I'm afraid the city will be hit hard. There are families in the Black Tower, but they are all very busy with their own children, and she needs you."

His mother had died giving birth to Yusha, and his father had raised their family alone since then.

Slowly, his father relented. "We will come," he said. He didn't sound happy about it, but his father knew about compulsion and he had always seen sense when something was inevitable.

"Can I really learn to channel?" Ayitah asked.

Sheriam nodded at her. "Yes, Ayitah," she said. "You are close to touching the Source, too. I am glad we came here when we did, it's not something you want to learn by yourself."

Ayitah nodded, wide-eyed again.

Now he had agreed to come, his father did not want to dally. They quickly packed Jahar noticed his father and brother did not pack too much, clearly intending to return- and soon they were ready. Sheriam helped Ayitah, telling her what she would need as a novice in the Tower, and Jahar extinguished the fire in the kitchen, then set a number of wards around the house and the immediate surroundings. No Trolloc would enter the house.

When they were all ready, he opened a Gateway back to the Black Tower. His sisters exclaimed in awe, but his brother scowled as they left the house in Shol Arbela.

He had arranged for a small house among the Dedicated who had been Logain's. It was a small house, but well built, two stories and a small attic.

Now that he knew Ayitah also had the spark, he was curious whether his father and brother could channel. His father was too old to have the spark, but that did not mean he could not be taught. And his brother might still have the ability inborn. Even so, he wasn't going to ask right now. They'd had enough for one evening.

After seeing his father, Asim and Yusha settled in, they took Ayitah to the Tower. Which meant they would have to turn her, even if she did come along voluntarily. It was safer than to use compulsion, which one of the novices or Accepted could discover by accident.

"We will have to turn you, like we were, and has been done to everyone.

There will be Myrddraal there, but I'll be with you. Try not to be afraid," Jahar told her.

"I won't," Ayitah assured him, but her voice was a little shaky, and Jahar kept a close eye on her.

Ayitah looked around with wide eyes as they the large room at Malkier. Sheriam gathered a circle and the Myrddraal. Jahar could feel Ayitah draw a sharp breath as they entered the room, and she looked sideways at him, but she did not stop.

Sheriam drew him into the circle, then he took control of it. Just in case, he held Ayitah down with Air, but she never struggled. Soon, he was done.

"Where you scared?" he asked.

"A little," she admitted. "But you didn't hardly look at them. Are there always this many Fades around?"

"They won't come to Tar Valon," Jahar assured her.

"Good, I don't really want to meet one when I'm alone," Ayitah replied.

Sheriam smiled at her open honesty. "They won't bother you," she promised, even as she channeled the gateway to the White Tower. "Come, I'll bring you to your room."

After seeing his sister settled in too, he bade Sheriam goodnight and went back to the Black Tower. It felt unpleasant to be so far from her every night, much more so than it did when he and Merise were miles apart. But after the broken bond it was worse for her. If she managed to sleep well, then so could he. And sleep he must, for tomorrow all would come to a head. He went on one more brief round through the town that was now his, then went to sleep.


	20. The Last Battle

**The Last Battle  
**

Sheriam woke early, even earlier than she had the past days. Even so, she felt Jahar was up already. He had as many last-minute preparations to make, and the Asha'man of the Black Tower were still less experienced than the Aes Sedai. More than a few had never seen battle.

Here at the Tower, she was confident that everyone knew what to do. All had their assignments, all could move quickly. And with almost everyone who would come to Shayol Ghul under their control, all should go well.

Still she wished she could feel more confident. In spite of all their efforts, they could not control everything. The past two days, Cadsuane and the other sisters supposedly loyal to the Dragon had taken the sisters with a Warder, and even Amys and Sorilea, as al'Thor insisted on taking some of the Wise Ones along to the Bore itself.

They had also brought the Horn of Valere to the Field of Merrilor. The Dragon had asked about it, as it had been brought to Tar Valon and was hidden there. They considered claiming they did not know where it was hidden, or that it was gone from the place where Siuan had hidden it, but after careful thought decided that was too unlikely. It had been found once when it was needed, it figured in all prophesies, it would be found again somehow. And most of all, they did not want Mat Cauthon looking for it, not with his luck. Aybara had been one thing, Mat Cauthon's crazy luck would almost certainly protect him. Mesana decided not to push hers.

Egwene, who had been told its location by Siuan after she had been raised Amyrlin, retrieved it and handed it to al'Thor. Miyasi and Moiraine were ordered to protect Mat Cauthon from blowing it at any cost, a large force of Trollocs and Myrddraal was assigned to face Mat's Band just in case they failed.

Making a duplicate had been attempted but no one could recreate a horn just like it. Also the sisters who had successfully created the Call rods could not manage any angreal, let alone duplicate the sa'angreal. Apparently it was more difficult to make these than it was to make ter'angreal -although there was quite a difference between different kinds of ter'angreal, too- and none could figure it out on such short notice.

The Wolfshead they could copy, but only in the same manner as the one they had, so one could not channel while holding it. Sheriam kept one copy for Arinvar and she saw to it Gawyn got one too; Nynaeve regretted Lan still did not follow her of his own free will and would need the compulsion, especially since he would ride with Leesa and Lord Bryne to Tarwin's Gap rather than accompany Nynaeve to Shayol Ghul.

Only the previous day Mesaana had revealed her disguise here in the Tower, as she could not use the guise of a sister unknown to Alanna, let alone that of an Accepted or novice. A few times she had taken on the appearance of one of the turned sisters, but that meant the real sister would have to remain behind, and this time all were needed. And after today, there was no more need to keep her cover. Either they would win and she could come out into the open, or they would lose and likely would not survive at all.

Sheriam had been surprised to learn the real Danelle was still alive, saved by Mesaana's caution and the Brown sister's own unhappiness with the Tower's rules and policies. Mesaana had selected her because she had no close friends and a superficial likeliness, and the woman had not been a Black, but once held, she had quickly admitted it was her own displeasure with the Tower that caused her to spent so little time under its roof. Voluntarily now, she had helped Mesaana better than she could have under compulsion or torture, and she had been allowed to stay alive, if far out of everyone's way. Securely held in a Trolloc village deep within the Blight, the sister was to join the Trolloc armies in their attack, together with the Black sisters who had been exposed, and she would return to Tar Valon when all was over.

Sheriam dressed and got a good breakfast, as she did not know how long it would be before she would be able to eat again. Then she went down her checklist one more time. She met with Saerin, who would remain behind with Chubain of the Tower guard, and a number of sisters, to protect the Tower itself if al'Thor got any wind of what had happened, or the battle would spread over the world as a whole. She checked in with Sylviana, who had the novices ready to help full circles with one of the sisters leading. She checked on the sisters at Aringyl and at the farm to ensure they were all ready to move to aid the troops they were assigned to. And just before they left Tar Valon she saw Sashalle and Bera off to one of the Shadowspawn armies as well, Bera Healed by one of the men. Finally she reported to Mesaana, everything ready to move to meet al'Thor.

-0-

They had Traveled to the Field of Merrilor and joined al'Thor there, and he had only briefly conferred before he had opened the gateway to Shayol Ghul.

And here they were. The circles were all formed. Sheriam looked them over, all of those who held control of their own circle, Asha'man and Aes Sedai, were ready to link together at a moment's notice, Nynaeve and Egwene ready to link with al'Thor. But first..

The Dragon stood on a slight natural elevation, a few steps away from the rest of them. In his one hand he held the velvet bag which contained the last two seals, Callandor, the strongest male angreal he had now the Choedan Kal was gone, tucked under his left arm. He too looked over the circles, and saw they were ready. Any moment now, he would give Nynaeve the signal to link with him. It was now or never.

"Now!" Mesaana ordered, even as she struck out with the shield. Sheriam was only a fraction of a second behind, Corele was just as fast and while she could not see it, she knew Jahar and Logain shielded Aviendha and Alanna. She felt a hint of resistance, but then their combined shield slid through his strong flows of Saidin. Moria's small group and Nynaeve, linked with Egwene, wove the bonds of Air.

"Egwene, no! It _must_ be done, I thought we agreed," the Dragon exclaimed. He looked startled but clearly had not yet grasped what was really happening, thought merely Egwene wanted to stop him from breaking the remaining seals.

Sheriam did not take her eyes off the Dragon, but from the corner of her eye she could see Egwene shake her head sadly. Sheriam felt no such sympathy. Moridin had not told them what he intended to do with the Dragon, she did not know if he would be Healed and turned and be allowed to join them, or held as a prisoner, or even if he would be killed. But he was only one man, and one who had fought on the other side at that. She watched calmly as Moridin approached the Dragon from behind and took both bag and sa'angreal from the Dragon's grasp.

Only then did it dawn on al'Thor what was really going on. Sheriam felt him push wildly against the shields, an utterly futile attempt now he no longer even held the sa'angreal.

"Noooo!" He screamed, eyes wide and darting from one person to another, visibly struggling against the bonds of Air as much as against the shields. As his pleas were not answered anywhere, his expression turned into one of horror and disbelief.

Moridin stood next to him, a wide, wild grin on his face, altogether too mad and wild to Sheriam's tastes. Naeblis or not, Moridin scared her.

Mesaana changed places with Nynaeve, coming forward with her circle. She wove the flows of the severing even as Moridin's grin turned into an expression of utter disdain, but Sheriam was glad when she felt the Dragon no longer push against the shield and she knew there was no more risk of him breaking free. A ta'veren of his strength was always a danger, even shielded, and they would have to tie off the shields to have their hands free for what was to come.

Al'Thor let out one more terrible howl, then slumped in the bonds of Air. Mesaana signaled to them.

"Done. The shields can be released."

Sheriam released hers, then wove another flow of Air around al'Thor's arms and legs and tied it off. No risks, let Moridin be scornful if he wanted. Better to err on the cautions side.

Nynaeve pulled al'Thor aside, out of the way of the circles, and the men put Aviendha and Alanna next to him. Al'Thor had stopped screaming when he was Stilled, instead he repeated 'no, no' over and over again in a soft, hollow voice. Aviendha and Alanna were gagged, Moridin had not made any mention forbidding that.

A gateway opened and even though Sheriam knew Mesaana carried the Dreamspike, she was still relieved to see Kerryn and Leesa, to take the place of Aviendha and Alanna in the circle of seventy-two. Elayne Trakand should have plenty to deal with heading her armies, but without the Dreamspike she might still have abandoned her countrymen in spite of the Trollocs and Myrddraal engaging them. Surely Elayne, too, knew that if al'Thor lost here at Shayol Ghul, the rest of the world would fall no matter what she did.

Al'Thor dealt with, Moridin stepped up on the same slight elevation. His face contorted again in a mad, wild grin and the Saa flickered in his eyes as he reached into the velvet bag, the sa'angreal tucked under his arm just like al'Thor had. Sheriam shivered, even as she eagerly anticipated the release of the Great Lord.

"Link," Moridin commanded.

The circles joined, Sheriam pulling Jahar's circle into the link before she, herself, opened herself and relinquished control to Mesaana. Then Mesaana reached out for Moridin. He used Callandor while he was in control of the entire circle, contemptuous of its flaw. Sheriam knew Mesaana did not like or trust Moridin any more than she did, but there was no choice, he was Nae'blis.

A hushed silence fell over the gathered circles as Moridin took out the two cuendillar disks. Only the sobbing of Alanna could be heard, even al'Thor had fallen quiet.

Unbreakable as they should be, the half-black, half-white disks were weakened to the point where, this close, Sheriam could see small flakes dropping off even as they rubbed against the drawstring of the velvet bag. Moridin held them in his hands, turned them over, slid them on top of one another, then suddenly snapped both of them in two. The halves crumbled further in Moridin's fists.

Immediately, Sheriam could feel the change in the Great Lord's essence, but not as much as she had expected. The Bore was only a small hole, and the seals had been weak. To really free the Great Lord, the Bore would have to be widened. And that of course was what they had come here for.

Moridin channeled, reached out with weaves of Earth, Fire and Air towards the mountain of Shayol Gul. They were too far away to see the Bore itself -to go inside the mountain would mean to be crushed to death- but Sheriam could hear a deep, increasingly loud rumble, and the ground vibrated under her feet. Sparks and small flames flew from the top of the mountain and then a cloud of dust started to billow up, obscuring the fire. The rumbling grew louder, the cloud of dust grew mushroom-shaped. Then something burst through, not anything visible to the eye but leaving a large hole in the dust cloud as it passed. At the same time, the Great Lord's essence within her spiked, strong enough to make Sheriam gasp, before settling down to a more bearable level. The Great Lord was free!

A cheer rose up from the all around her, and Sheriam too joined in.

HOLD THE LINK

The Great Lord's voice exploded in her head, not loud in a conventional way but still enough to make her stagger. Then the presence sped off -how she knew she could not tell, since the Great Lord was not visible to the eye- and they were left behind.

For a bit, all was quiet. The dust still billowed, but the cloud was no longer expanding, and all that remained of the rumbling was an occasional rattle as a rock became dislodged in the rubble that was left of Shayol Ghul. No one spoke, Alanna had stopped her sobbing as well, and nothing strange happened with the dangerous sa'angreal.

And then she felt it, the other presence. It came at them from the South, racing towards them at an unimaginable speed. Moridin threw up a shield, putting all the power of the seventy-two of them and their angreal in a huge dome of Air. Sheriam could see only those parts that were woven of Saidar, which made it look uncannily like it was full of weak, thin spots and even some holes, but she had to trust the parts made of Saidin to be as strong as the parts she could see.

Moments later the dome was put to the test as boulders the size of houses were picked up from the rubble and flung at them. Sheriam ducked, a senseless reflex but one she could not stop. The shield held, but she could feel the earth shudder under her feet.

Suddenly the Great Lord approached once more, and there was a deafening crash of thunder and lightning directly above them, the ground shook and buckled. Now everyone flung themselves on the ground, even Mesaana, only Moridin stood without flinching, holding the Sword that was not a Sword in both hands, his head thrown back and laughing like a madman.

Then, just as quick as he had come, the presence that had to be the Creator fled, pursued by the Great Lord. The assault gone, Sheriam sat up, then stood, as did most of those around her. The immediate area was as quiet as before, the dust slowly settling and only a rare stray boulder still rolling down one of the piles of rubble. But there were hints of distant crashes, slight tremors felt through the ground from quakes happening far, far away, and flashes of lightning could be seen far off in the distance.  
There were short periods when nothing could be felt, heard or seen at all, but judging from the directions of what she could see and feel, Sheriam thought the battle between the Great Lord and the Creator had to go all over the continent, perhaps all over the world. She did not want to think of the destruction wrought or the people killed.

She scanned the sky. She hadn't expected a battle on this scale, or in this manner. Not once had the Creator done anything to help those who fought for him, she hadn't been sure he was still capable of putting up this much resistance. Or was he just fleeing, trying to put off the inevitable?

Sheriam glanced around. Most anxiously scanned the sky like she had, but no one spoke. Moridin still stood laughing, the crystal sword now clutched to his chest, head still thrown back and eyes as wild as the maniac sound he made. And Mesaana watched Moridin. In a circle this large, it was impossible to sort out anyone's emotions, but the apprehension on her face was hard to miss.

She felt the approach even as she saw Moridin's wide, maniacal grin turn into an even scarier visage. She whirled around, watching as both Creator and Great Lord shot overhead, towards the rubble of Shayol Ghul. And then the Creator's presence faded, dwindled. Sheriam allowed herself to breathe again, the Great Lord had won!

SEAL IT

The command was short and clear. Moridin started to weave Air and Fire. No Spirit, and why no Earth? Sheriam had barely time to wonder why the most obvious element was left out or if he wove it only with Saidin when she saw that, instead of sealing the Bore, Moridin lashed out into the sky, towards the Great Lord himself!

"_I_ will rule!" Moridin cried out. He raised the angreal high overhead, even as the great flows of Air tried to force the Great Lord toward Shayol Ghul, toward the prison from which they had just freed him.

Sheriam gasped in horror. He couldn't try that!

"No! You're crazy, crazy!" Mesaana cried out, and Sheriam could see she visibly struggled to stop the weaves, but of course it was no use, a circle of this size could never be controlled by a woman.

Moridin turned towards Mesaana, and Sheriam could no longer see his crazed face.

"_I_ will rule!" Moridin cried again.

Sheriam glanced at Jahar, who stood next to her. He held a little fat man statue, the only other angreal the men had, and she could feel as well as see the strain on his face. But his angreal was a child's toy compared to the sa'angreal Moridin held.

Overhead, the flows of Air seemed to solidify, lightning flashed but crashed harmlessly against their shield. Jahar put his hand on his sword -the regular, steel blade- but hesitated, judging the distance. Even though Moridin was only watching Mesaana, had turned his back towards them, they were still several paces away from him.

He glanced at her, clearly unsure of his chances, and Sheriam shook her head. If there was even the smallest window of opportunity, Jahar should be the one to take control. If only she could somehow distract Moridin, throw him off balance somehow!

Then she thought of her Well. A Well was typically used while shielded, she didn't know if it could be used while so much of the Power already flowed through her into the circle. Carefully, she reached for it. And there it was! She felt Saidar in her own grasp, the tiniest trickle compared to what flooded through her and her angreal into the circle, but it was hers to control.

She caught Jahar's eye, glanced at Callandor, then held up three fingers of her right hand. He nodded. He couldn't know her plan, but he would be ready. Making a slight gesture again, she counted down. One, two.. on three she struck out with a flow of Air, lashed it around the crystal sword and pulled as hard as she could. The sa'angreal flew from Moridin's hands, the pull of Air much stronger than any man's grasp. It flew a couple paces, then the Well ran out and the sa'angreal crashed to the ground, shattering as it landed on the hard rock. Even before it landed, she felt the control of the circle shift, the flow of the Power now running towards Jahar, and the weaves of Air and Fire winked out.

Moridin screamed, a raw, animal scream of rage, and Sheriam felt a slight pull as he tried to wrest control back from Jahar. But without the sa'angreal, he had as little chance as Jahar had before.

"Guard him," Mesaana ordered sharply, gesturing at some of the other Asha'man. The men quickly came forward, swords drawn, and stepped between Moridin and the rest of them.

"Seal it," Mesaana told Jahar.

Jahar was clearly aware of the urgency. He barely took the time to nod, instantly grasping thick flows of Earth, Air, Fire and Water. Smaller flows of Spirit formed a framework, and all sank deep into the rubble of Shayol Ghul.

Sheriam watched anxiously, eying Jahar and Moridin in turn. Moridin should not be able to interfere, not guarded by so many armed Asha'man and without even a minor angreal, but only a fool would turn his back on him. Jahar was clearly straining as he wove the enormous flows. And where was the Great Lord? She could still feel him, but he had not done or said anything since Moridin's attack. Did he know they had handled it, and that he shouldn't distract Jahar just now, or had Moridin done more harm?  
Weave after weave sank into the huge mound of rubble, until finally Jahar gathered up the rock itself and with Earth, Fire and Water fused it to form a solid layer of stone. After what seemed a long time, Jahar released the flows aimed at the mountain.

"Done," he said, his voice betraying how tired he was.

"Break the link," Mesaana ordered immediately, and as Jahar let go of the control of the circle, they broke apart into their previous groups. Mesaana immediately struck out with a shield around Moridin, Sheriam did the same without being ordered to. She also refilled her Well. Logain, who held one of the circles and also was one of those who had come forward to guard Moridin with his sword, used bonds of Air to hold and gag him.

As he was shielded, Moridin's enraged expression left his face, instead his mouth contorted into a snarling grin, while his eyes were blank and staring. The revolting mask made Sheriam shudder, even bound and shielded as he was.

Only with Moridin safely held did Mesaana kneel down.

"Forgive us, Great Lord, for this great transgression."

And finally the Great Lord responded.

CLEARLY I UNDERESTIMATED HIS MADNESS. RISE, MESAANA. YOU AND YOURS DID WELL.

"Thank you, Great Lord," Mesaana replied as she rose. "What should be done with him, and with the Dragon?"

AL'THOR CAN LIVE. THE OTHERS YOU HAVE BROUGHT ME SERVE WELL ENOUGH. BUT MORIDIN'S MADNESS IS TOO GREAT. I COULD NEVER TRUST HIM AGAIN, NOT HERE NOR IF THE PATTERN DECIDES TO SPIN HIM OUT AGAIN. THAT SHALL NOT HAPPEN.

Mesaana bowed. "As you wish, Great Lord."

She reached for the necklace Moridin wore, the silver chain with the cour'souvra. She snapped the chain and took a step back. Then a narrow and precise lance of blinding, white light shot out from her. Moridin must have known it was coming, must have understood the verdict as well as anyone, but his expression did not change. He simply vanished, burned from the Pattern for ever.

MESAANA, YOU ARE NAE'BLIS. YOU WILL RULE THE WORLD IN MY NAME, NOW AND FOR EVER.

Mesaana knelt. "Thank you, Great Lord."

JAHAR, SHERIAM, YOU ARE MY NEW CHOSEN. YOU TOO WILL BE ALLOWED TO WIELD THE TRUE POWER, AND YOU WILL NO LONGER BE BOUND TO THE WHEEL TO AGE AND DIE.

Sheriam knelt. "Thank you, Great Lord," she too replied.

NOW, RISE AND TEND TO THE WORLD. HE ALMOST BROKE IT APART -NOT JUST THE SURFACE, BUT ALL OF IT - RATHER THAN LETTING ME HAVE IT. I MANAGED TO PREVENT THAT BUT THE DAMAGE IS... EXTENSIVE.

Sheriam felt a cold inside her. They had all known from the tremors that there had to be massive damage, and she had guessed the Great Lord and the Creator had gone all across the world, but to hear him say it, she knew it was worse than she had feared. But she did not allow herself to linger in her concerns. She stood, saw Mesaana and Jahar rose as well.

"Logain, take your circle and turn al'Thor and Elayne," Mesaana ordered. "Nynaeve, Travel to Lan. Tell him the state of affairs, any of his army who will go home peacefully will not be touched, nor will their farms and towns be harmed. Egwene, see to the Blacksmith's army and then Mat's band. Those who are stupid enough to fight, kill them, but hopefully after the shock of the Breaking will make the majority of them listen. Have Elayne call back her armies and have al'Thor try the same with the Aiel. All the rest, return to your respective Towers."

Acknowledgements came from all around, accompanied by quick nods and bows rather than longer shows of honor. All of those gathered here knew now Mesaana cared for speed in such situations, the formal congratulations with her new position could come later.

"Jahar, return to the Black Tower and see what shape it is in, do what you can to have at least a base of operations. Sheriam, we will return to Tar Valon."

Her tone was less commanding but her orders still short and quick. Even as she finished the last word, she opened an Eye, then a gateway. Sheriam followed Mesaana through without checking to see what the others did; Mesaana trusted them to follow her orders without further prompting or question, so would she.

-0-

They stepped out onto the roof of the White Tower, it at least stood! What relief Sheriam felt at this was quickly quenched by what she saw as she looked beyond the roof's edge.

Just to the North, there was a mountain. An entire, the Great Lord help them, mountain, rising up high into the sky. Its surface looked cracked and broken, full of deep fissures, come to think of it the whole thing looked like a gigantic pile of rocks rather than any other mountain she had seen. She gasped even as she heard Mesaana curse, then together they strode closer to the railing to enable them to look down. From their vantage point, the place where Dragonmount had been was hidden from view, but Sheriam knew, just knew that was where it had come from, for where else would a mountain this size have come from?

The city was in rubble, debris from the mountain littered everywhere, crushing many buildings, other homes had collapsed from what must have been the quake induced when the mountain had been thrown at them. One huge rock lay very near the Tower, it rose halfway up towards them and Sheriam cursed loudly as she measured it up and realized that not just the north stables, but also the pensioners' quarters had been where it lay. Grimly, she looked further over the debris, towards the north, and the harbor. Or where the harbor had been. The mountain must have blocked the Erinin, for there was no water in the river, and its landing must have caused a huge flood, for everywhere Sheriam could see the ground in between the rubble it seemed to be covered with mud and slime. Only a small number of the strongest buildings stood, those that had been Ogier-built like the Tower itself, and had been lucky enough to escape a direct hit from the larger pieces of debris.

Wordlessly, Mesaana turned and strode to the other side of the roof, assessing the damage done to the southern part of the city. Here it was slightly less severe, the mud at least had not come this far, and less debris had fallen, but there was still a lot of damage. Mesaana took a few moments to take it all in, then channeled again and opened the Eye and gateway into the great entrance hall.

Here there was chaos. The hall was flooded with people, many seriously injured. Aes Sedai, Accepted and novices tended to some, guardsmen tried to keep the crowd under some semblance of control, but more people kept coming in, pleading for help with their own injuries, for those they carried in on litters or on their back, or for those caught in the rubble of the city.

Before Mesaana even let the gateway close, Saerin appeared out of the chaos. She looked unsure for just a moment at the two of them.

"Yes, it is me," Mesaana said. "The Great Lord is free, there is no more need for disguise. Report."

"Great Mistress," Saerin knelt but started to speak even as she did. "The Tower was under attack for only a brief while, but the damage is extensive and there are many casualties. There was a, a presence in the air, I don't know how else to describe it, and then moments later a terrible shock as the mountain, Dragonmount was thrown at us. It fell short, I don't know whether it just fell there or the Great Lord stopped it, our shields and wards wouldn't have been strong enough. They stopped the smaller debris but buckled under even one huge rock that fell on the pensioner's quarters, and the stables. None who were in there survived. There are many casualties in the rest of the city as well, I do not dare to guess at the number of dead or injured. People have been asking for Healing, sisters are doing so here but I did not allow any to leave the Tower until I was sure there would be no new attack."

Mesaana nodded. "You did well. I am taking over now."

"Thank you, Great Mistress," Saerin's relief was clear in her voice.

Mesaana wove Saidar to raise her voice above the din.

"Listen all. The Great Lord, to some of you still known as the Dark One, has been set free. The Breaking and the attack on the Tower were not his doing, but were done by the Creator in an attempt to escape capture. I am Mesaana, and from now on I rule in the Great Lord's name. No matter what you have heard, this is now my town and my people, and I will provide as any Amyrlin would have done.

"Wounded who are brought into the Tower will be seen to by Sedore and Doesine at the gate. Those who need immediate care will be brought to the dining hall of the Accepted and Novices, where Dagdara will lead the Healers there. Dagdara, Nynaeve will join you as soon as she returns to the Tower. Any who have no home to return to after being Healed, will be provided bedding and food in the Aes Sedai dining hall. Those with minor injuries will be treated in the ballroom on the first floor, by the guardsmen and servants who know about herbs and combat medicine, further Healing will be provided later for them. Talva and Larissa lead teams out into the city, each sister who can Heal reasonably well will take two of the Accepted or novices to link with for strength. Chubain, those who are particularly strong in Earth will join your Tower Guard in rescuing those who are caught in the debris. The dead will be brought to the west courtyard. Nyein, you register the dead, tag each person and keep those who are not known apart until they can be identified. Take one of the servants and send a list to me and Sheriam every half hour. Zemaille, you do the same for the grievously wounded, and Aiden, the minor injured. Pevara, Mestra, Notori, Travel to the major cities and give me a brief report on the state each of the former countries is in, no need for detail, I just want a rough idea of what shape the other cities are in for now."

Sheriam watched as Mesaana sent everyone on some task, quickly and efficiently. The names Tel'Air and Gheshain came to mind, and she knew where Mesaana got the experience she now used for Tar Valon.

"We will remain here in the entrance hall, where we are easily reached and can quickly reach those we need in turn. Gather all incoming reports and sort them, mark the maps when we hear from the three scouts," Mesaana told her in her normal voice, and Sheriam nodded.

Gasps and shocked cries had rung out as Mesaana spoke, from the servants, citizens and those novices who had not yet been turned. But there had been a good number of sisters in the entrance hall to start with, and more were coming in as those who had been at Shayol Ghul arrived. The servants and even the townspeople looked at them for guidance, as they had always done, and not yet grasping the fact that many of the sisters had been serving the Great Lord all along. As the sisters remained perfectly calm and started to gather them in, directed them to their tasks, most did as they were told without the aid of compulsion, even if they looked as glassy-eyed and befuddled as if the weaves were used on them. The guardsmen had looked at Chubain, but he commanded them to follow orders, and that they did -he had them well under control, and Saerin him.

Sheriam flagged down one of the servants and sent the woman off to retrieve the maps from the Amyrlin's study, then saw to the placement of a large desk in the rear of the large room. She started gathering reports even before she had a place to put them down, holding the sheets in her hand until the desk was in place.

As people were assigned tasks, the chaos lessened but the number of people in the hall did not, as for every person who was sent elsewhere, another one entered. The servant returned with the maps, a large roll containing maps of each and every part of the world, and Mesaana put a map of the main continent up on the wall behind them, as well as a map of the city. When any report came in, they marked the area with the One Power, coloring it green, yellow or red according to the amount of damage done.


	21. Aftermath

**Aftermath.**

Mat rode at the head of his Band, the Horn of Valere tied to his saddle, accompanied by Thom and Moiraine and of course Talmanes. Miyasi rode close behind, no matter what he told her, she insisted on remaining nearby. He could feel the dice rolling in his head, rolling like never before. Then, this was the Last Battle. He would have to trust his luck to see him through one more time, just this once. He wished he could be with Rand now, but he couldn't channel, he could not help with the actual re-sealing of the Bore. His task, and that of the Band, was to keep the forces of the Dark One from coming at Rand and his circle of channelers. He was surprised they had not yet encountered any large forces, or any enemy at all for that matter. They wouldn't let Rand open and re-seal the Bore without even challenging him, would they? He was sure Rand would be there by now, was already doing whatever it was he was doing exactly.

He looked around, far behind them he could see the Aiel troops, and ahead of them was Perrin's army, or what he still thought of as Perrin's army, even now Perrin himself was no longer there to lead it. That worried him. He had never read as many books and prophesies as Rand had, but he had always known that the three of them would be needed here, to confront the Dark One on this final day. And now Perrin was dead, killed in some bold attack in Tar Valon. Rand had gone forward with his plans, had assigned the army that was mostly Two Rivers men and a company of Berelain's Mayeners to his father, Tam, and said that all should go forward no matter what. Of course, he could not do anything different. What other options had there been, give up? Then all would be lost just the same.

Mat shifted the spear he held in his right hand, and let his left hand in which he held Pip's reins drop a little so his hand rested on the Horn. That was his one hope, that Perrin had done enough to be bound to the Horn. The one way in which they could all three be here. But the Horn could only be sounded in great need. Now, even though he knew Rand must be about to strike at Shayol Ghul, there was no immediate threat.

Or was there? From off to his left, on the outside of the circle they patrolled, a cloud of dust started to rise. Closer than he had thought possible; had the Dark One's army lain in waiting, or had they used gateways to get there? Trollocs couldn't go through a gateway, but human Darkfriends could. He strained to see with his one eye, and loosened the strap which held the Horn to his saddle. He alerted Talmanes and the others, but they spoke up at the same time, every man had been alert for any change. All men drew their weapons and Mat turned to face their enemy head on. He booted Pips in the flanks to once again get to the head of the column.

Suddenly, Pips' forelegs sank deep into the ground and the horse fell. Mat was pitched over its head and before he could roll, he hit the ground head-on. He yelled out in pain as his jaw hit a large, jagged rock and another rock caught him in the chest.

Pain lanced through him as he pushed himself up even a little, and tried to feel how badly he was hurt. He knew his jaw was broken, he had felt and heard the bone crack, and as he carefully tried to work his mouth, he spat out a tooth. And his chest hurt, a stabbing pain, which puzzled him because the rocks, though quite hard, looked well-weathered rather than jagged and sharp. He sank back down, avoiding his chest and falling on his side.

Hopefully Moiraine would be able to Heal him, for some reason he couldn't put his finger on, he did not trust Miyasi. Even now, both Aes Sedai, as well as Thom and Talmanes, had dismounted and were kneeling next to him.

"I must take off your medallion," Moiraine said, even as she reached for his shirt, and Mat nodded consent. However much he hated having anyone channel at him, he had to get back up to face the Trollocs. What had happened to his bloody _luck_?

Moiraine turned him over on his back, and pulled his shirt aside. Then she hissed.

"What is it?" Mat asked in a thick voice. He ignored the pain in his jaw and lifted up his head far enough to see the wolfhead medallion lodged in his chest, right next to his heart. What _had_ happened to his bloody luck?

Miyasi cursed as she saw the ter'angreal, so did the two men.

"That is a problem," Miyasi said.

"Can't you just pull it out?" Mat asked, or tried to, what came out sounded more like "Cant ou ush puw ih ouh?" but the others understood.

"It is lodged into your chest quite deeply," Moiraine replied. "It may even have hit the heart, when we pull it out we may have only seconds to Delve and Heal."

"Then do it. Quick." (Ehn oh ih. Wick.)

"I want to try and see how deep it went, first," Miyasi stalled. He was sure she was stalling, damnit, couldn't Aes Sedai Heal in a flash? How could he possibly bleed to death with two Aes Sedai next to him, even if it were lodged in his heart. Or she was being overtly careful, and there was no time for that.

"Ow cwose are eh eh-e-ee?"

"They are approaching fast," Talmanes said. "We should not allow a gap to fall in the circle of defense."

"Ou 'ead em," Mat said. "I ill 'ome as wick as I 'an."

Talmanes pushed himself up even as he nodded. He gestured and yelled to the rest of the Band to continue their approach.

Mat once again tried to push himself up and look around. Now he saw Pips, still down on the ground as well. The gelding was laying on its side, breathing hard, both forelegs twisted and clearly broken. No one had an eye for the poor beast, but at least it did not wear a bloody ter'angreal and the two Aes Sedai should have it back on its feet once they were done with him.

The two Aes Sedai who were still taking their time, he saw, even as the Band passed them on both sides, on their way to the battle. And then he heard it, another rumble, coming from the direction of Shayol Ghul. Well, at least he should be able to sound the bloody Horn now.

The same moment he opened his mouth to ask Thom to get the Horn from wherever it had fallen, he realized the difficulty. He could barely speak, how for Light's sake was he going blow a horn? Light, his __luck__!

"Ohm, ive ee eh 'orn," he managed anyway. "And ou 'woo, lease 'urry!"

Thom got up from beside him and walked over to Pips, then moments later let out a terrible curse.

"Blood and bloody ashes," Thom exclaimed, using the curse Mat himself favored. "We are doomed."

Mat heard the alarm in the older man's voice and pushed himself up on his elbow, ignoring the two Aes Sedai who weren't doing much of anything anyway. "Aht is 'ong?"

Thom bend down, then straightened, holding the Horn aloft. The mouth piece was twisted, even with his jaw Healed he probably wouldn't be able to get any sound out of it.

"Pips must have fallen on it," Thom stated.

Mat's curse was lost in another rumble as something, unseen but clearly felt, passed high in the sky to the right of them. The rumble grew until it was ear shattering loud, rocks shifted, rolled, and the Aes Sedai lost their footing.

"Light help us, he must have broken free," Thom exclaimed, even as the rumble faded and the ground stopped shaking.

"Ohm! Cahn ou re'air iiht?" Mat asked. "Ou oo, do oht give up."

Thom took another look at the Horn, then took up a rock and sat down, carefully hammering at the mouth piece. The two sisters picked themselves up and now sat on their both their knees rather than on one, for the rumbling in the distance continued, far off, sometimes unheard but always returning, and they all feared it would come closer again.

Thom hammered and the two sisters carefully prodded the ter'angreal, all was taking much too long. Mat had no idea what was happening, but he knew it couldn't be good. Then, the rumble increased quickly to a great noise, and all braced themselves.

It was worse this time around. Off to their left now, the quake caused the earth to buckle under them, but forewarned, no one fell. The sound and the _something_ passed them, this time in the direction of Shayol Ghul, then all got quiet. And even as they looked in the direction of the single, terrible mountain, they saw lightning and fire arch into the sky. This time, Miyasi and Moiraine gasped loudest of all. Had they seen more than Mat himself could?

The lightning and fire did not last long. Very soon it too ceased and nothing happened at all for some time, or at least nothing he could see, the Aes Sedai kept looking at Shayol Ghul with an air of concentration.

Mat had given up trying to get the two to help him. He had felt the dice stop the moment the lightning had ceased, and he knew that even if he were Healed right now, it would not make a difference anymore.

He tried to piece together what had happened, the Dark One had broken free, had raced across the world, but had been chased by the Creator. The rumble and quake had been made by two entities, he was sure, the first one's passing doing far more damage but something unseen in hot pursuit. Then one had been forced back to the Bore, back in the prison. Had perhaps struggled again briefly, before the calm spell. Had the Creator forced the Dark One back into the Bore? It didn't feel right to Mat, and he feared Rand had failed, feared it was the other way around. But then what was happening now? Someone was still channeling, and now he too could see the distant mountain that was Shayol Ghul shift and settle, as a physical seal on top of what must have been woven with the One Power. Few people could manage a feat like that, even leading a full circle. So maybe it was Rand, sealing the prison?

As the mountain settled, Miyasi tore her eyes off the distant scene and let out a deep breath, as in relief. She nodded to Moiraine, who pulled the wolfhead out of his chest without further hesitation, and Mat had barely time to gasp from the pain before the tingle of Healing passed through his body, and he felt the flesh and bone grow back together. So they had been stalling!

"What's going on, what are you two playing at, and what happened to my bloody _luck_, why did it leave me when I needed it most?" Mat demanded angrily, even as he pushed himself to a seated position, his eyes level with the two sisters as he looked from one to another.

"Your luck did not leave you, Mat," Moiraine said. "It was never something of the Light or the Dark, it protected _you_, as a person. Miyasi and I were under orders to keep you from sounding the horn at any cost, we might have had to do worse if you hadn't taken that fall. Or if we hadn't been able to keep you from sounding it, two more fists of Trollocs and a hundred Fades would have united to stop those who answered its call from reaching Shayol Ghul."

Mat looked at the two sisters. Even if he hadn't trusted Miyasi, or any Aes Sedai, that was because he suspected they had their own agenda. At least for Moiraine, and Miyasi, hadn't Egwene purged the Black Ajah from the Tower? Moiraine's admission stunned him. She _couldn't_ be a Darkfriend.

He tried to say it was impossible, ask her why she hadn't captured or killed them long ago when she came to the Two Rivers, it just did not make sense. But before he found the words, Thom did.

"No!" he called out. Mat saw he had gone pastry white in the face, and his voice was heartbreaking. "No, Moiraine!"

Miyasi had gotten up and was seeing to Pips, and Mat felt for one of his knives. He could stab the Black sister, or at least try to, for she had not turned her back on him completely, but he hesitated.

Somehow, he didn't think it would make a difference anymore. The Dark One was free, and the Creator sealed away in the Bore. By Rand? If Moiraine was a Darkfriend, then everything was possible. No, he could not believe that.

Moiraine, in the meantime, had gotten up from beside him and stood face to face with Thom. The tall man held her by her arms, his knuckles as white as his face, but she seemed calm as ever.

"I am sorry, Thom. It was not by choice but I serve the Great Lord now," she told him. "Anyone who can channel can be taken and turned to serve the Great Lord, remember the night after we returned to the Band's camp, and you woke with a slight headache? Miyasi knocked you out as she took me. And no, don't you turn on her, I wouldn't have stopped you from doing so then but I certainly will now, with the Great Lord ruling the world. Thom, I hope you will come to accept what can not be undone."

"Accept?" Thom exclaimed. "Moiraine, whatever it is, I am sure it can be undone."

Moiraine just shook her head slowly.

Mat felt numb, everything he had fought for now gone. He still sat on the rocky ground, watching the others as in a dream. Miyasi walked up to him, leading Pips. The gelding's lower legs were bloodied, but there was no trace of a limp.

"Your horse," the Black sister said.

"You Healed me, and now you are giving me my horse," Mat said, "And yet you serve the Dark One. Shouldn't you be killing me instead?"

"The time for that is past," Miyasi replied. "Call back your men and tell them to stand down. Any further fight serves no cause, only more loss of life. I can use compulsion to make you call them back but it will be more convincing if you do so of your own accord."

"A Black sister who is concerned about loss of life. Now I have seen it all," Mat remarked. She didn't think he would fall for that, did she? Although she had Healed Pips. And had Healed him. He glanced at Thom, who was having his own discussion with Moiraine, on a more personal level. He was of no help right this moment.

"The fact is, you have seen very little, and you assume you have seen everything," Miyasi told him. "I do not know what will happen to all of the world, some are... more like you think we all are. But Mesaana's orders are to stop the fighting if possible, and it would seem to be of benefit to both sides to do so. The Last Battle is over, Mat, don't make it last longer than it has to."

Mat pushed himself up from the ground, then mounted Pips, and Miyasi didn't stop him. He did not believe one bit of what the Aes Sedai told him, and if Moiraine had been made to follow the Dark One, he could not believe her either. Even about Thom he wasn't sure, until Moiraine's admission he would have bet his remaining eye on the man's dedication to the Light, but he had sounded torn speaking to her just now. Love was a crazy thing.

Oh bloody ashes, Tuon. Was she even alive? No, he could not allow himself to be distracted. His Band, his men, were battling Trollocs and Darkfriends and he had a chance to stop it. Would they be called back only to be attacked from behind? Standing in the stirrups, he tried to get a look at the battle in the distance. Judging from what he could see, there was no need for subterfuge, the Dark One's forces were great in number and he saw more than a few flashes of lightning and fire, attacks with the One Power for which his Band had no defenses. He wished he had the dice telling him what to do, but he did not feel them, had the nagging suspicion he may never feel them again.

"If I call them back, will we be free to go where we want? I will not have my men used to further your plans."

"I do not know," Miyasi answered. "I do not think even Mesaana really knew what to expect after the Battle was fought."

Mat squinted. For all that she might be a Black sister, she sounded sincere. And there was the old saying, one who lived could always fight another day. He made up his mind. "I will call them back, but I will promise nothing beyond that. And the truce holds until the first Trolloc or Darkfriend raises a blade against any man of mine. If you expect me to call them back, I assume you have your forces under at least as much control."

Miyasi nodded. "Fair enough, Mat Cauthon."

Mat booted Pips forward, fervently hoping he was doing the right thing.

-0- -0-

Marris stood on the balcony with Tuon, Torianna, the new so'jhin, Melitene and Jinjin. Tremors still shook the palace, but it wasn't as bad as it had been moments earlier, when a deep rumble had come closer, closer, and then the palace had bucked like a horse under their feet.

Marris had thrown up a shield of Air to protect them from small debris, and she had feared the building would collapse, holding the weaves for a gateway ready as tapestries fell off the walls and plaster and small chunks of stone rained down all around them.

But the palace had stood, and as soon as the worst was over, they had come out here to look. The palace stood taller than most other buildings, and this balcony of the upper story allowed them to overlook the city and the harbor.

Even at first glance it was clear many other buildings had not withstood the quake. Clouds of dust rose from below, where houses, shops and sheds alike were reduced to rubble. And more than dust rose up to them: screams and shouts came from the panicked crowd. People ran both ways, some fleeing the buildings that were merely damaged, no doubt in fear of further collapse, while others rushed towards the piles of rubble, desperate to save some loved one whom was thought to have been inside. As they stared at the scene, Karede and Hartha joined them, but apart from gasps and muttered curses, they were struck silent by the destruction below.

"Where's the water?" Melitene suddenly exclaimed.

Marris looked toward the harbor, and saw Melitene was right. The ships listed to the side, some completely tipped over in the wet sand, some hanging by their moorings from the quay. The sea was gone. Or, gone, as she looked further out she saw the grayish line far in the distance, a thin line now but growing thicker as she watched.

"Oh no," she gasped.

"Look, it's all good, it's coming back already," Torianna said in a relieved voice, as she too spotted the line of water.

But Marris knew better. She had read about these monster waves, rare as they were, when first the water would pull back, only to return in a huge rush, destroying everything on the shore and sometimes far inland. Somehow she knew this one was going to be bigger, stronger and faster than any she had read about.

"It's coming back alright," she said, "But it won't be good. The city will be flooded."

Torianna looked puzzled, but Karede cursed and she felt the sinking feeling from Tuon through the a'dam before she even turned and saw the woman had gone white in the face. The Seanchan were a seafaring people, at least some of them would know the signs. Not that it was likely to help them, the line of water was coming closer at an alarming rate. Should she warn the people below? She could use the Power to raise her voice above even the clamor coming from the city, but then what. The wave looked far, far greater than even the palace could withstand, she doubted any of the dwellings below stood a chance. And the hills were too far off to reach on foot or even on horseback. She wasn't sure if a horse could outrun the water on a track but it certainly could not in the cities streets, with the panicked crowds and rubble.

"Will the palace stand?" Tuon asked her.

"I don't know," Marris answered truthfully. The way it had withstood the quake meant it was very well-built, but there had been damage. Glancing at the walls to either side of them, she could see cracks in the stone.

"Melitene, warn the people," Tuon ordered. "Tell them to get to higher ground if they can, or up to the roof of the strongest buildings. Most buildings will collapse, but.. certainly some will stand."

She spoke authoritively, but her brief pause betrayed the lack of confidence in the last part of her statement. The water was coming closer and now a deep rumble could be heard in the distance.  
Melitene nodded in acknowledgment and told Jinjin to use the power to amplify the sul'dam's voice.

"People of Ebou Dar, there is a monster wave headed for the city. Get to higher ground or to the roof if your dwelling stands, immediately. Get to higher ground or to the roof if your dwelling stands, immediately."

As Melitene repeated her warning, the din below changed to one of even more panic, some running in other directions, others just digging more frantically, as if they stood any chance at all to reached those who were pinned and outrun the water after that. From the balcony, they watched the wall of water come closer.

At first it didn't seem so high, just a line of grey and white foam where the sea always was, and the quay was built high enough to stand the terrible winter storms. But then it lifted the stranded ships, including the huge Seanchan war ships and the rakers, and tossed them up as if they were mere toy boats. Moments later, the water reached the shore and vessels that had been moored rose up, their ropes snapping as mere threads as they were lifted up above the quay and were slammed into the warehouses that lined the shorefront.

"We're getting out of here," Marris decided. She pulled on Tuon's leash and gestured to Torianna, even as she started to weave the flows for the gateway.

"Take them too," Tuon pleaded, indicating Karede, Hartha and Melitene.

"If you can control them," Marris told her. She watched them carefully even now, readying flows of Air as well in case they would figure out what was happening. But between the quake and the monstrous wave, even the otherwise quick Karede seemed confused as to what was going on, although he and Hartha were eyeing her strangely.

"Give me Jinjin's leash," Tuon ordered.

Melitene blinked, not quite comprehending.

"Quick, do as I say."

Used to following orders of her Empress, Melitene stammered an apology at her delay, and unclasped the leash from her wrist. Tuon took it and slapped it around her own, next to the one she already wore.

Far below them, the water had reached Mol Hara Square in front of the palace, it rushed foaming over the cobbles, while on the shorefront the first buildings were crumbling under the onslaught.

Tuon looked back over her shoulder, at the door leading to her rooms in the palace.

"The others? They will obey me."

"No," Marris replied, very definite. The screams of the people below were heartbreaking, and debris was crashing into the palace wall as the water in the square below was rising fast. Hundreds, thousands would die in the city alone, but she wanted to make it out alive, and without a real leash around her neck. She had seen the loyalty of the sul'dam and the guards, and no matter what Tuon claimed, they would risk their lives trying to free their Empress if they discovered she was held and controlled by the White Tower.

Karede and Hartha had a hand on their swords even now, and Marris bands of Air, pinning their arms against their body, then did the same to Melitene. The woman carried only a belt knife and had passed Tuon the leash as ordered, but even a belt knife could be used to kill or maim.

With the last flow of Air tied, she opened a gateway to Tar Valon. Not directly into the city, she was not sure what shape it would be in, but just across the river, where the rebels' camp had been.

The three shackled Seanchan had started and called out for help when she had woven the flows, but the door leading on to the balcony was closed, and those inside likely had their own problems, if they even heard the orders over the screams from below. They started even worse when they saw the gateway.

"She can slice the air?" Melitene exclaimed, while Karede and Hartha cursed and struggled against the bonds.

Marris pulled Tuon through the gateway, after Torianna, who had not waited for her signal but leaped through the moment it opened. Jinjin naturally followed Tuon without being told, but Tuon had to order the others. Even then, Marris wasn't sure they came because of her order or because they hoped to struggle free and rescue their Empress. They might have been momentarily distracted by the Breaking, they certainly knew who was in charge now.

As Marris saw all had stepped through and she let the gateway close, she looked up and gasped at the sight of a jagged mountain where none had been before, so nearby. For a moment she was disoriented and thought it had crushed all of Tar Valon, then she sighed in relief as she saw the city itself, the Tower standing although it sported new cracks in the walls and one huge boulder, at least six stories high, was laying right next to it.

Her eyes flicked to the North and indeed, Dragonmount was gone. She shivered. There had to be a lot of damage and casualties in the city after an entire mountain had been thrown at it, even if somehow it had fallen short. Even from here, she could see one or two other boulders, not as big as the one laying up against the Tower, but each large enough to crush several houses beneath them. No doubt smaller debris had rained on the city as well.

But the Tower stood and everything else was of later concern. Even though they must know by now they could not break free of the flows of Air, Karede and Hartha had not stopped their struggle, and they were making angry protests.

"What's going on," Hartha rumbled in between muttered curses.

"Who are you really, why isn't the a'dam working?" Karede wanted to know.

"Tell them," Marris told Tuon.

"The leash is working al right," Tuon said with a sigh. "But it works the other way around. They leashed me the night they kidnapped me, and Marris returned with me as my sul'dam. And... they did something to my mind, something involving Myrddraal and the One Power, to make me loyal to the Dark Lord. I didn't know it could be done, but I am glad he is free."

All, Friends of the Dark and those who stood in the Light alike, had known what the Breaking meant, and the screams from the Tarasin crowd had included shouts about the Dark One being freed, but none of their party had so far voiced it. Now, the two men and Melitene could not be more stunned.

"What? Impossible!" Karede exclaimed, incredulously.

"We knew something was wrong, knew the Tar Valon witches had more of a hold on you than just the thread of more fiery raids, terrible as they were," Hartha said in and angry voice. "But you had her leashed. There are no leashes that work the other way around."

He strained against the bonds as he glared hard at Melitene, who seemed for the moment glad he was bound like she was. No one liked having an Ogier angry at them!

"They can't. None of those we collared here knew how to make an a'dam, or any other object of the Power, I swear," she stammered.

"Just like they can't slice the air, I'm sure," Karede said bitterly.

"And you, don't think I didn't notice she didn't bind you, are you in league with her?" Melitene shot at Torianna, who looked back with a smug smile.

"Save your bickering for later," Marris ordered. "You will come along with us, like it or not. If Tuon can convince you to remain loyal to her, it will be useful in controlling the Seanchan army. If not, I'm sure replacements can be found. For now I will take you to the Tower cells. Tuon, you've shown some sense during our last sessions together, keep it up and you will be back with your people when it is safe."

She didn't address Melitene, the turning would take care of her loyalty.

She was about to Travel to the Tower, now she had seen that it stood, or at least as close as she could come outside the Dreamspike's influence, when she noticed Jinjin's expression. She had paid even less attention to the damane, safely leashed, than she had to the sul'dam, but she had expected shock and fear. Instead, the woman was smiling widely and looked at Tar Valon with as much anticipation as Torianna.

As the damane noticed Marris' gaze upon her, she burst out, "Aes Sedai, is it true Jinjin will be set free?"

"Eh?" Marris looked at her questioningly.

"When Jinjin was just leashed, Aise told us when the Dark One would be freed, we would no longer be held. She was punished severely of course when the sul'dam heard it, we all got a lashing and were told to forget, but Jinjin always remembered and kept hoping she was right."

Marris smiled at the damane. She knew that even now the Great Lord had been released, there would be resistance from people who would not accept the rule of those they'd always thought of as evil. She also knew there were more who had secretly supported the Great Lord than those who walked in the Light knew, and it was good to see one such here.

Ignoring cries of outrage from Melitene, she told the damane, "Freedom is relative. One who comes to the Tower will have to start as a novice, and must obey the sisters teaching her. Even I have to obey the Chosen, the Amyrlin, and the Hall of the Tower. But we do not use leashes, except in rare cases like this." She touched the leash holding Tuon. "Will you come to the Tower of your own free will and obey me and the other Aes Sedai?"

The damane nodded eagerly. "Jinjin will do that, Marris Sedai."

Marris reached out and released the collar. She felt a flash of irritation from Tuon, but the young woman said not a word about the breach of etiquette. Good, it had been a test of the other woman's obedience as well.

"Then you are free. And stop talking about yourself in the third person."

"Yes, Marris Sedai. J.. I will." Long habit almost made her slip even as she promised.

The glow of Saidar sprang up around her, and she channeled. First a thin braid of fire, forming a cautious ball of light, then Marris watched as the woman readied more and thicker flows. For a fraction of a second, she thought to tell the woman to stop. She hadn't told her not to attack the sul'dam, but there hadn't been anger or spite in the Seanchan's voice. She decided not to interfere.

Then Jinjin directed the flows at the sky, shooting a sparkling flower of Fire in the air, before releasing the Source.

"That was the first time J.. I ever channeled without the a'dam," she said. Her eyes shone like those of a novice who had for the first time felt Saidar.

Marris smiled. Then she took the regular a'dam Jinjin had worn and exchanged it with the one with which she held Tuon. As most Browns, she didn't care much for appearances, but however well it worked, having a collar around her neck was decidedly less pleasant than wearing a bracelet. She hung the other one on her belt.

"Now we must go," she said. She had picked this spot carefully, outside the city to see what she was getting into, and to make sure she had the Seanchan well under control, but close enough that she could Travel further into the city rather than having to walk. Still without the key to the Dreamspike -she checked, but her flows unraveled when she tried to go directly to the Tower grounds- she Traveled to the receiving grounds.

In spite of what she'd seen from afar, she was still shocked by the extend of the damage. Almost all dwellings had cracks in the walls, sagging roofs, and broken windows, even where no debris from the mountain had hit. The displacement of the mountain must have caused a great quake here as well. But the chaos was less severe than it had been in Ebou Dar. At one fully collapsed building what looked like a coordinated rescue effort was taking place, led by two members of the Tower guard, and two townsmen carried a litter with an injured man in the direction of the Tower itself.

With a gesture, Marris set her group in motion and they followed the citizens through the ravaged city.

-0- -0-

Verin and Graendal had watched the battle from the cottage's small front porch. Despite being shielded, they could still see the flows aimed at Shayol Ghul, those woven from Saidar at least, and Verin gasped as she saw and felt the Dark One break free, big chunks of the mountain crumbling in his wake.

Beside her, Graendal was smiling broadly. Even now, the former Forsaken was still a fervent supporter of the Dark One. Verin wondered if she expected to be able to redeem herself, once the Dark Lord was free. Verin didn't think it likely, but the rules were different for the Forsaken.

They watched in silence as they both knew it wasn't over yet. And indeed, soon Verin felt the other powerful presence in the sky above them. For a moment, she felt hope, but it quickly became clear the Creator was no match for the Dark One, now that he was free. She felt the Creator flee as they passed overhead, the force of his passing causing a powerful quake that almost knocked her off her feet. There was no use to seeking shelter, Shaidar Haran had shielded his dwelling as he had left, and if anything broke through the shield, she suspected the little protection the physical walls would provide would make little difference.

With pain in her heart, Verin listened to the distant rumble, felt the tremors shake the ground underfoot. So the Dark One was breaking the world as the prophesies had foretold would happen if the Dragon were to lose. She felt the tears run down her cheeks, and she cared nothing if Graendal sneered at her loss of control. And she held on, hardly daring to breathe as she scanned the skies. As long as they were both free, there was a little hope, a small chance the Creator would be able to defeat the Dark One and lock him into his prison again. The Breaking could not be undone, but at least the Creator could reforge the world in his image.

After what seemed like an eternity, the two forces came hurtling through the skies again, and this time Verin knew it was all over. She felt the presence of the Dark One, stronger than ever, as the other presence faded.

Even as Graendal had cheered, the lighting had burst into the air above Shayol Ghul. Graendal had fallen silent, and Verin had merely looked on, stunned at what she saw. Neither one of them had known what was happening, could only see the flows arch into the sky for a short while before they broke off. Whatever it had been, it had not succeeded. The Bore was sealed, the mountain reformed on top of it.

"He is free, the Great Lord is free and the Creator locked in the Bore!" Graendal finally burst out. She gloated at Verin, her eyes shining.

Verin did not allow herself to be drawn out. Graendal had finally learned who she was, even before the visit of Mesaana and Sheriam, when Shaidar Haran had told her how the two were taking over the Tower and she had not been able to hide her dismay. The former Forsaken had ever since gloated over each victory of the Shadow over the Light, but the one time Graendal had tried to attack her physically, Shaidar Haran had called her back, lashing her as he made it clear he was the only one meting out punishments in this place.

She turned and went into the cottage, where she resumed her work of dusting, cleaning and cooking. Graendal came in after her, in great spirits. The former Forsaken even started to hum as she started on the dishes, but Verin continued to ignore her.

Verin hadn't been completely sure Shaidar Haran would return, hadn't the Dark One needed the Fade to speak for him when he was sealed within the Bore? That would no longer be needed now. But he came back. Night had fallen, Verin and Graendal had finally gone to bed, and it was already well into the next day before the tall Myrddraal returned to the cottage.

Neither one of them knew exactly what to expect, but Graendal was clearly full of hope.

"My congratulations, Great One," she said even as she knelt. Verin knelt too, but remained silent. She was not going to offer congratulations unless ordered to.

"Ah yes, my faithful servant," Shaidar Haran said to Graendal. "And you."

Verin felt his gaze on her as the Myrddraal turned towards her.

"It might be interesting to know that the destruction wrought to the world was not the Great Lord's doing, but rather the Creator trying to escape his fate. And that Mesaana has the Aes Sedai and Asha'man help and Heal her people in Tar Valon and elsewhere, for as far as anyone can still help them."

Verin glanced up at him. She wasn't sure whether to believe him or not, but what reason would he have to lie to her? He did not need her obedience, he held that by other means.

"I knew it," Graendal said triumphantly.

"Of course you would have done the same, unlike your cities that were attacked in the War of Power which you simply abandoned, or even leveled further rather than dealing with the refugees" Shaidar Haran remarked scornfully. "Not that it matters. The Great Lord no longer requires me to speak for him, but I am now to rule the Myrddraal and Trollocs. I will still require servants, both of you will remain in my service, and your opinion of the Great Lord's rule will make little difference. Now, serve my dinner. I haven't had time to eat since yesterday."

It was clear Graendal was disappointed, had hoped for a reward for her show of faith. Verin was left with more confusion, she dared not ask for clarification of the little he had told, but she held a little hope that perhaps not all the world was lost, even as she rose and, with another deep curtsy, went into the kitchen to do as she was ordered.

-0- -0-

Sheriam took report after report, from the servants who did courier duty for Nyein, Zemaille and Aiden, from Pevara, Mestra and Notori, and from others who came in from various places. The Black Tower had been under attack as well, but with no mountain at hand, the Creator had thrown debris from Caemlyn at it, as well as great scoops of earth and forest, and fire and lightning had been slung at the town.

The shields of those who had remained to defend it had stopped a good lot, and Jahar came in soon with the offer of help from the majority of his men wherever it was needed. And a good thing too, for the reports from elsewhere were shocking.

Not all major cities had suffered a direct hit, apart from the attacks on the two Towers, most of the damage seemed random, done by the Creator as he and the Great Lord passed closely overhead. Sometimes there had been cities and towns in their path, sometimes not. Chachin had been hit, and Lugard, and obviously what was left of Caemlyn, but most other larger cities inland had survived pretty much in whatever shape they had been in when the battle had started.

But the shock of such passage had caused much more secondary damage. The Spine of the World was shattered, the rocks spread all through the Waste, where they littered the desert which was cut through by huge, deep furrows, which were already filling with water. Fal Dara and Fal Moran were as littered with large, rocky debris as Tar Valon was, many homes crushed and more damaged due to the quakes caused by the violence.

And worst of all, along the coastal areas huge waves had hit the land. Tear, Illian, Ebou Dar, Falme, Tanchico, Bandor Eban, even Godan had been flooded, the cities mostly under water with only a few of the strongest buildings still standing. The water had come far inland, forever changing the coastal line, drowning low laying lands completely.

And Mayene was gone. Pevara had been shocked when she reported that, even though she had been to Tear before and had known thousands must lay dead. But when she had tried to Travel to Mayene, her Eye had only found water. She had checked her bearings and tried again, then asked Moradri, but the closest land they found was some miles inland from where the city had been, the road leading to the edge of a still-crumbling cliff.

Obviously there was nothing that could be done there, but Mesaana sent Jahar's men to the other coastal cities, to see what could be done.

Compared to those places, Tar Valon had fared well. But the toll had been high, even here. The lists the couriers gave Sheriam were long, and the missing numbers greater still. Sheriam had taken a look at the massive rock that had fallen just short of the Tower itself, and knew many bodies would never be recovered. Pensioners, who had served the Tower faithfully under previous Amyrlins, who had nothing to do with either side. And the horses and the grooms and the stableboys. She knew she shouldn't be bothered by mere horses when so many people lay dead, but she thought for just one moment of Wing, the grey mare that had carried her all the way from Salidar.

The only survivors of the attack had stood huddled up against the wall of the Tower itself, a stableboy of perhaps ten years old and a shaggy mare. As she asked, the boy told her he had led the horse out for a walk as it had been colicky, and the pair had escaped serious injury. Sheriam recognized Bela, now Siuan's, but previously Egwene's. What was it with the Two Rivers, that even a horse from there could be so lucky! No, it had to be coincidence.

The boy had so far been ignored by everyone else, the sisters and others rushing past on their way to help those more seriously wounded, and Sheriam sent him off to the south stables with the mare, before going back inside. It was clear there was nothing more she could do here.

There was surprisingly little resistance from the townsfolk, all through the city. They were shocked, but those who were gravely wounded, or had loved ones trapped in the rubble, were all too happy to receive aid from anyone. Some of the Black sisters had changed the color of their shawl's fringe, and Sheriam followed their example, using a small weave to make her stole appear black, and she send word out to the other Black sisters in the city to show their true colors as well. When the first shock was over, the most seriously injured Healed, and the worst of the rubble cleared, and the people of Tar Valon had time to sit and think, she wanted people to know the Black sisters had been the ones to provide aid and lead the Healing and rescue effort.

Others came in as well. Marris brought the Seanchan Empress, and Mesaana sent the pair of them out to Heal as well. She would wait for Jahar's men to report in before they decided on what action to take with the Seanchan; it was clear from their reports and Pevara's that there would be no immediate threat from them. Nor from the Seanchan mainland. Mesaana send scouts there too and the damage was as extensive as it was here. Danelle had come in, and was sent to help the searchers as she was strong in Earth.

There were more reports from the battlegrounds at Shayol Ghul and the border with the Blight.

Some of theirs had died in the shockwave as the Creator passed overhead, those who had been in his immediate path helpless against the forces that left furrows in solid rock. Asha'man and sisters alike, they had been spaced out to form a large circle of defense but even so, the death toll and missing numbered three dozen.

Mat Cauthon's Band had retreated as far as their camp at the Field of Merrilor, but they were still gathered there, armed and ready to go back to battle at a moment's notice.

What had been Aybara's troops had agreed to talk with Egwene, but she was still speaking with Tam al'Thor, Faile Aybara and Berelain of Mayene. Tam al'Thor and Faile were at least considering returning to the Two Rivers. Berelain was crushed at the news of her city and state, and none of them knew her enough to guess whether she would be more likely to lead the remaining Mayeners into battle and fight to the death, or give up and save their lives at least.

The Borderlanders had agreed far too readily to go home to their farms and families, and Lan feared they planned to re-group in secret rather than keeping their word. Borderlanders were generally honest people, but they hated the Great Lord even more than they hated to tell a lie, and Sheriam agreed with him. As she told Mesaana of her concern, Mesaana assigned Moghedien to the Borderlands. She was to ward the farms of those who returned against Shadowspawn, but also to keep an eye on any who plotted against them. Mesaana made very clear she wanted those who did not make any move against them safe, and Sheriam hoped at least some would forego their plans at rebellion if they saw Mesaana kept her promises and provided actual aid to those whose cities or towns were destroyed.

Al'Thor had his difficulties with the Aiel as well. Only four of the Clan Chiefs agreed to speak to him, Rhuarc of the Tardaad, Bael of the Goshien, Bruan of the Nakai, and Erim of the Chareen. Timolan of the Miagoma had ordered his Clan to continue their attack without even waiting for al'Thor to finish speaking, and the Trollocs and Asha'man had taken out most of them, with some losses among the men and Shadowspawn. The other clans were still holding their grounds, with the opposing armies keeping them occupied more than doing any serious damage until they got orders otherwise.

Elayne caused further trouble, for the weaves of those attempting to turn her would not take hold. It seemed her pregnancy, interfering with the channeling, blocked this particular weave as well. The sisters who held her used compulsion, and she did call back her troops to the camp at the Field of Merrilor, but she would have to be guarded for the remaining time of her pregnancy. Dagdara and Nynaeve did not dare to use Stilling on her either, unsure of how it would affect the babies she carried.

Far better news was that Elayne and Aviendha told the sisters who took them that they had found a weave to allow Min to share their Bond of al'Thor. With Elayne's trouble channeling, she could not demonstrate it, but Aviendha suggested it might be used or adapted to turn those who could not channel. That would be of great use, while it would never be possible to take everyone by force, taking more key figures among the nobles and generals would be helpful to keep the masses under control.

Those other armies might be the hardest of all to control, but they had few channelers in their midst and thus no serious threat; they could be left to their own devices for the time being. They were spread out along the border of the Blight, and the nobles leading them were independent enough even al'Thor would have difficulty convincing them to stand down. The freeing of the Great Lord and the Breaking had been felt by them too, but had not been enough to stop them from fighting, but the Shadowspawn, engaging them suffered only small losses. Al'Thor could try to deal with them after he had taken care of the Aiel, or if that took too long, Grey sisters would be sent to rein them in once the survivors were tired of fighting and more likely to give in.

-0- -0-

Night fell, but as the rescue efforts were still going on, from buildings collapsed by the rocks and most of all in the northern part of the city where the flood of mud had gushed through the streets, the stream of injured barely lessened. Mesaana ordered half the sisters and guardsmen to retire to their rooms for part of the night, they would rise halfway through the night to resume the rescue operations.

Sheriam and Mesaana made do with only a Refreshing, with Sheriam barely needed, not with her Bond to Jahar. They gathered reports all night, but there was little they could do for the many devastated areas. There was just too much damage, too wide-spread across the continent.

Early in the morning, Sheriam was tacking more pages of names, injured and Healed and deceased, on the wall, where a group of townspeople quickly flocked around her to read if their missing family members were on any of the lists. She walked back to the temporary desk when Laras stopped her, and curtsied. "Keeper."

"Laras. You wish to see me? Please come along to the back of the room."

The large woman did not move. Instead she took a deep breath and looked Sheriam straight in the eye.

"I wish to resign."

Her request came as no surprise, not really. Sheriam had always known Laras was not a Friend of the Dark, and was independent enough not to simply go along because the Aes Sedai did. Still, she looked back calmly.

"Why?"

Laras blinked. She clearly had expected a different reaction, perhaps an outright denial of her request, not this. She opened her mouth, closed it and only then opened it again to reply.

"Sheriam, I have served under Sierin and Elaida, but I can not serve under.." she broke off and her eyes flitted to Mesaana, who stood at the temporary desk.

"Or me, I suppose," Sheriam added. Her black stole hung around her shoulders, she had worn it all night, glad and proud to finally be able to show her true Ajah.

"Or you," the big woman admitted reluctantly.

"Why not?"

This confused Laras even more. She gave a quick shake of her head and hesitated before replying.

"I may not be Aes Sedai, I have heard the stories, anyone who spoke up or even followed the Light was killed, just for their allegiance. I am probably a fool to even come here, Aeldra said I should make a run for it and disappear, but it's my stupid responsibility that would not make me do that. If this will get me killed, like those in the tales, so be it, but I can not be part of that."

Sheriam shook her head slowly. "Laras, no one is going to order your execution. If you truly want to resign, I will grand you your request, and see you off with a good pension. No, do not protest. Do not think of it as from us in particular, but from the Tower, which you have served well under seven previous Amyrlins. But first I want you to listen. Four weeks ago, when the Black sisters were caught, did you watch their execution?"

Laras nodded. "I did not like it, found it hard to believe from most of them, but yes I watched. Was relieved they were caught, to see the Black purged, as I thought."

"Why?" Sheriam asked again.

"Because they were Black Ajah, of course!" Laras said, clearly befuddled. "I was hoping the Dragon would seal the Bore, the Last Battle would be won."

Sheriam studied her for a few moments. Then she spoke. "Five of the fifteen had never been called to action, had never done anything except for swearing to the Great Lord. Eight others had broken Tower law, but nothing that would have resulted in more than a penance or perhaps a birching if it had been done by any other Ajah for any other reasons. The Warders supported them, but again no serious actual crimes have come out. Master Tanner and his wife merely provided a room for the sisters to meet those they could not meet in the Tower, they had no part in anything that was discussed there. Only Vittorina and Donnah had killed, the only capital crimes committed by any of them. Apart _from their allegiance_."

Laras opened her mouth as if to protest, closed it again. Sheriam did not say a word, simply waited, and then the penny dropped.

"O damn, I've been a hypocrite, have I not?" she said. "It's just that… I've read so much about the War of the Power, anyone who couldn't keep up or was even a little different was killed, children encouraged to spy on their parents and one another. Even if the Light is not free of blame, it _can't_ have been as bad as that."

Sheriam's eye flicked to Mesaana, who had approached soundlessly from behind the cook. Laras followed her eye and turned white as a sheet.

"At ease, Laras," Mesaana said, staying her. "I understand your concerns. There are many stories going around, and I admit many of them are true. It was a hard war, much harder than the one fought in this Age, and things were done on both sides that were not pretty. However there are a few things you need to know. As for the destruction of all that was even remotely related to science, the universities or general history, that was mostly my followers' doing. I hated the Dean of the Collum Daan, the faculty director who passed me over time and again, some of my fellow teachers who had no ambitions and no greater outlook in life. My instructions were very specific, my followers a bit.. enthusiastic in executing them."

Mesaana shrugged as she continued. "I am a scientist. I had wanted to use the libraries, rebuild the universities with a staff of my choice if we had won back then, and even now much more is lost because of what was destroyed. But to call them back would have been a weakness, and I could not afford that. Now there is no such concern, I mean to rebuild the world and anyone who gets over-eager will be reined in. As for the schools, if I remember correctly you have read Alrom's reports?"

Laras nodded, numbly.

"Yes, you told me of some of your extensive reading when I was still posing as Danelle. No doubt you would have been a Brown if you had been able to channel. However, the one thing you seem to have overlooked in your self study is that history is written by the victor. Have you ever come across the name of Raymon Yaep Dannovan?"

Laras shook her head.

"I didn't think so. He too lived through my schools, some fifty years after the opening of the Bore. He had one brown eye and one blue, and he walked with a limp -a birth defect, not something that could be Healed fully even then. Yet he did well, leaving those more able bodied behind him, graduating with honors and gaining a position as governor of my territories when he was thirty. A fair governor, remember the conflict ran for far longer than it did in this Age, and unlike most of the men and Semirhage, I did not waste my resources. Then in the War he served as my best general until his leg gave out eight years later. He was retired and lived well for the two remaining years of the War, what happened after that I do not know. For unlike Alrom, he never wrote a book, or if he did it did not survive him.

"I was required to fulfill Aginor's demands for Trolloc fodder, and of course I took those who showed least promise rather than the best students. There will be no more of that, feeding humans to the Trollocs is wasteful and certainly was never my idea. They do just as well on any kind of meat, pork or sheep or cattle, as long as it is freshly killed.

"I won't deny I have killed hundreds, and thousands more were killed on my orders, but it was just the way the War was fought, and many thousands were killed by the so-called Light as well. This war, if it hadn't been for the Second Breaking, was barely a skirmish compared to the War that ended my Age. And even then, at the end there was more left in knowledge and technology than people have managed to rebuild in all the time since. I need people to rebuild and while I will not allow anyone to rebel against my rule, those who can't immediately dismiss the thoughts they've been indoctrinated by for three thousand years will not be harmed. As long as they do not act on them."

Sheriam took over again. "Laras, if you still stand by your decision, your request is granted. But you are better at organizing than Aeldra, many of your cooks and maids have suffered losses, the Tower kitchen will serve food to those Healed and to the refugees for some time. If you would remain at least until the worst of the damage is cleared, and the greatest flood of refugees have been taken care of, it would be a great help."

Laras looked around as if she saw the activities in the entrance hall for the first time. Sedore had just checked a new arrival, and two men carrying a third on a litter went by in the direction of the dining halls. The townspeople were done the new lists, a servant was leading a crying elderly man towards the western exit. Any able-bodied people who tried to hang around after checking the lists were sent on some work detail by one of Chubain's men, missing loved ones or not, but the elderly or those who had been seen by the guards' medics and maids in the first floor ball room and whose injuries were too disabling to be of use, were allowed to withdraw to a corner of the room, where another servant handed out hot cups of tea.

"You really are taking care of them," Laras said wondering. Then she curtsied. "I am sorry, High Mistress, Keeper. I should have looked with my own eyes instead of going only by what I was told, even if the stories were plentiful and old. If you will excuse me, I have work to do."

"Thank you Laras," Sheriam replied. "Yes, you are excused."

She smiled as she walked back to the rear of the room with Mesaana. Laras was a very capable woman, and respected by the cooks under her as well as most other of the Tower's residents. Her decision would help sway the others, she was sure.

-0-

The morning was very busy. First came the representatives of Aybara's army. She still thought of it as such. Egwene had spoken to them most of the previous day, and as evening fell, Tam al'Thor, Faile and Berelain had told her they would make their decision known this morning. And so they did.

Traveling to the Tower grounds, with Annoura who had been given the key to the Dreamspike as all full sisters now, the three requested to see Mesaana and Sheriam in person.

As the three walked into the entrance hall, they too looked at the activities taking place. Sheriam greeted them, then made them wait just long enough to give them time to take in the operations, without making them impatient. Then she put down her reports, made one final mark on the large world map, and gestured for them to follow her as she channeled. Even within the Tower, she did not waste time on walking its halls, instead Traveling directly to her anteroom, and from there leading them into the Amyrlin's Study, which was Mesaana's now.

The introductions were short. Sheriam knew Tam al'Thor from the time he had visited the Tower, and she had once met Berelain of Mayene, but not Faile, Aybara's wife. Mesaana knew none of them, but Sheriam and Egwene had briefed her so she knew what to expect.

"So you did kill Perrin," Faile said as soon as they had acknowledged Mesaana with barely a nod. They must by now know the forces Mesaana controlled, but they were not yet ready to bow or kneel. But at least they were talking. Another Aiel clan, the Codarra, had tried an all-out attack just after midnight and had been wiped out, but at a high cost.

"Yes," Mesaana admitted, without hesitation, before Sheriam could even reply.

Faile sighed. "And we would have killed you if we'd had the chance. And yet here we are, talking of a truce. We walk in the Light but the Light has been sealed in the Bore and it seems senseless to keep fighting. We will return to the Two Rivers, and go back to our farms and other homes, but under two conditions. It is a temporary agreement only, for four months, we will not pledge allegiance when all this might still be some sort of a ruse. And the first time one of the Shadowspawn takes so much as a stray lamb, let alone one of the people, all agreements are off."

Mesaana nodded. "That is acceptable."

Faile was clearly surprised. So was Tam al'Thor, but it was clear Faile was the leader of the army, even if the man was much older and originally from the Two Rivers. Berelain kept back, more than Sheriam thought she would at any other time, but of course the loss of her entire homeland had been a terrible shock.

"If I do keep to my part of the agreement, as I intend to do, I want your allegiance after the four months are over," Mesaana added.

Faile nodded. "Fair enough."

Then she pursed her lips for a moment, composing herself. "Fager Neald, however, will remain here. I could not trust him again, war or no war."

Mesaana nodded. "I could assign another Asha'man to your people. More sisters and Asha'man will visit to help the crops along soon, I do not intend to have more people go hungry than necessary. Hunger creates strife."

"We will do with those we have, we have always managed to build with our hands, and we will do so now," al'Thor replied.

"I understand." Mesaana replied.

The three shook hands and took their leave, with a more respectful bow and curtsy. Sheriam channeled the gateway back to the entrance hall and saw them off, satisfied with this victory but knowing not all would be this easy to convince to a truce or better.

-0- -0-

Egwene entered Tel'aran'rhiod in her own room this time, and she took a few deep breaths before she thought herself to Emond's Field. The village was in slightly better shape as it had been the previous time she had been here, but there was still massive damage. Those who had been with the army, Perrin's army, were back, and had cleared up the worst, had boarded over windows and repaired gaping doors. It would be far more than a full day before the rubble was cleared and the houses which had been burned were rebuilt, but at least some of the houses looked habitable again, would now shelter those who had lived their and their less fortunate neighbors. Those who had survived.

She walked to the village green, still looking a sickly brown, even though she knew the illness was gone from the plants. Sisters would help the crops along as soon as the worst injuries had been Healed, the next priority since the crops the world over were affected and it would be difficult to get enough food for everyone who had survived even with the help of the One Power live through the winter without hunger.

She walked around for a short while, now seeing signs that the people were back. A shutter or gate opened and closed, a wheelbarrow moved across the street. None of that had happened before; even those objects that could be moved were solid here in Tel'aran'rhiod when they remained in the same position for days or weeks on end.

But Perrin did not show up. She had expected him to come to her when she entered the World of Dreams, but he had not. Would she go look for him? She knew how to find other Dreamwalkers, but she had the feeling she would not find him when he did not want to be found, any more than one could find one of the Heros of the Horn at will.

The one place she might find him was the hill where she had met him last time. She did not want to go there, did not want to meet him there, out of all places, where the graves of his family were. Perhaps it was folly to even try to speak to him. Still she wandered out of the village, past the last of the houses.

"You still dare come here? Did you help put them here?" Perrin suddenly stood between her and the graves.

"No," Egwene replied truthfully. "They did not hold me yet, then."

"But they do now."

"Yes."

"Then why are you here?" Perrin's yellow eyes were hard, his voice harder .

"I came to apologise. I was not there when you were killed, that was one of the sisters posing as me, but the letter was mine. I had to do it, to save the Tower, almost all had been taken at that point. But I hated it, it was the hardest thing I had to do by far."

"Harder than betraying Rand and helping set the Dark One free," Perrin remarked, skeptically. "That only broke the world."

"Yes. Rand lives, he too was taken and is working hard to save those he can. And the world, the worst damage was done by the Creator as he tried to flee, Mesaana and the rest of us are helping all we can," Egwene said.

"Oh really. And I should believe that?" Perrin scoffed.

"It is true. The cost is high, terribly high, but the Breaking was not the Great Lord's doing. And the rest can be seen even here. Look at the village, Perrin, the people are back, they have started to clear the rubble. The same in the cities. Go look at Tar Valon, and the tents for the refugees around it."

"For those who serve the Dark Lord, I presume."

"For everyone, Perrin."

Perrin shook his head, looking down at his feet. "I can't believe that."

"Just look. Tam is back, my father, Mat's dad, Aes Sedai have helped the Travel home and they have started to clear the rubble. Almost everyone has returned. Faile, too."

Perrin's head shot up. "Not Faile! The others, that is hard enough to believe already, but Faile would never swear to the Dark One."

"None of them did," Egwene replied. "All they agreed to is a truce, to go home and rebuild, for four months, and to refrain from attacking any of our armies, then they will meet again with Mesaana. They did not promise anything more, did not swear allegiance. That was enough, for that alone they got help Traveling home, and they will get assistance clearing the crops of the Blight and helping the plants along to replace at least some of what was lost."

"Some of what was lost, of the crops, what about the people? It is not just my family, Egwene, but Jared Aydaer, Marv Taron, so many of our old friends and neighbors were killed by the Trollocs. No one can replace them."

Egwene swallowed. "I know, and I wish that hadn't happened. It wasn't Mesaana who razed the Two Rivers, or Caemlyn, or Cairhien. It was war, a war started long before our time and even Cyndane, Lanfear, who had a hand in opening the Bore, did not do so with the intend of causing such a conflict. Now it is over, and we can rebuild. At least give us a chance."

"I can't, Egwene," Perrin said. "I will never accept the Dark One's rule. Not even if all you say is true. It is _wrong_, Egwene, it smells wrong."

"It _smells_ wrong? Perrin, you're a man, not a wolf. Even now."

"That doesn't matter. It only means I know what a man -or a woman- might not see. Farewell Egwene, I regret it came to this." Once again, he disappeared before she could get another word in.

Egwene sighed. She walked through the village one more time, noting the small changes and repairs, but also the extensive damage and the many houses that were just piles of rubble. With mixed feelings of sadness and hope she returned to her body.

-0- -0-

Two Asha'man soldiers Sheriam did not know came in with two Ogier and spoke briefly to one of the servants. The maid pointed at the table at the head of the room, at Mesaana and her. The men approached them and bowed deep.

"Great Mistress, Keeper," the one on the right said, a boy still but slightly older than the other one. "Ban Calder, at your service."

Sheriam and Mesaana acknowledged his bow.

"What do you have?" Sheriam asked. She thought she recognized the male Ogier, had she not seen him in Shienar at one time?

"We found these Ogier, High Mistress," the boy said. "Or better, they found us. They recognised out coats and requested assistance to Travel to al'Thor. The male said that they are the only Ogier left, the stedding are empty. We knew you wanted reports of the shape each city and state is in, so we took them to the Black Tower and sent some patrols to check on their claim."

"And indeed," he continued. "We sent out men to check and while it takes more time to check all, it seems the Ogier are gone. We used compulsion to ask these two, and the man-Ogier, Loial is his name, claims an artifact named the Book of Translation, was opened and all the Ogier that were in one of the stedding have gone to another world. Jahar had never heard of any such thing, and sent us to Mesaana."

Mesaana had only been half-listening as they started, still looking over one of the reports and knowing that if it were important enough, Sheriam would tell her. But when the artefact was named, she started.

"At what time was the Book opened?" she asked the Ogier.

"When the world shook, and the Taint of the Dark One was felt," Loial answered. It was clear he was still under compulsion.

Mesaana cursed. "Darkness within. That is a problem, or can be."

"What is this Book of Translation?" Sheriam asked.

"It is an ancient Ogier artefact. Many years ago, the Ogier came here from another world. To travel between worlds is not easily done, one can only Travel that kind of distance when one knows the location on both sides intimately, which means the first trip must be made by another method, usually in a ship that can fly not only through air but through the nothingness in between different worlds. The Ogier had that technology at one time, and came here. Their own world was not doing well after some natural and some man-made, or I should say Ogier-made, disasters. They decided to stay, and over the years they lost the technology to travel in such a ship, and they became part of our world. I did not know they still had the Book, or I would have tried to track it down and destroy it. I do not know if their world has recovered from the disasters that once struck it, and if it didn't, then there is no problem. But if it did, in so many thousands of years, they might be able to travel here with many of these space-ships, and it will be next to impossible to stop that kind of force with the One Power."

Sheriam blinked. Ships that traveled through the sky between worlds, it was hard to believe. But if Mesaana said it could be done, then apparently it could be.

"What does it matter if they traveled to another world?" she asked.

"In itself, nothing. But what worries me is that if they left after the Great Lord was freed, they may decide to come here and help their allies out. Ogier may take dozens of years to decide on this, but if theirs is still a spacegoing world, then they can become a serious threat. It will take us many years longer than that to rebuild to where we can defend ourselves against that kind of technology, the One Power alone won't be enough."

That was worrisome news. But none that could be done about it, and none that was of immediate concern, for Ogier were likely to take some years about such a decision.

"Undo the compulsion," Mesaana told the young Asha'man.

As he did, and the two Ogier slowly came to their senses, Mesaana told him who she was, and what she wanted of him. Sheriam had never seen an Ogier shocked, but Loial at least seemed not as slow as most were, and while the woman, whom Loial had introduced as Erith, was more quiet, she seemed to follow her husband's lead. The Ogier looked at everything going on around him and after a short pause, very short for one of his kind, promised to lend his strength and assistance in the rescue efforts in town. Like the Two Rivers men, he did not pledge allegiance on the spot, but that was of little concern. Sheriam knew their rescue operations were genuine and effective, and she had never known an Ogier to be unfair.

-0- -0- -0- -0- -0- -0- -0- -0-

Weeks passed. Sheriam looked over the reports she had received that morning.

There were skirmishes in the Borderlands and elsewhere, but no major battles. Even the proud folk of the Borderland towns had been helpless against the waves of Trollocs who had simply marched in, doing nothing but defend themselves when attacked. Many people had fled the cities, but others had remained behind, refusing to leave even when the empty houses where taken by the invaders.

Elayne had given birth to her twins, a girl and a boy, and had subsequently been turned. She now ruled a territory from Whitebridge, in the Great Lord's name.

Only six Aiel clans survived, the others had fought, and were slaughtered. But the remaining clans had returned to what had been the Waste, now a somewhat more habitable land with the large gashes turned into turbulent rivers, bringing water where none had been before.

The worst damage of the coastal areas had been cleaned up, thousands of dead had been buried, but there was still lots to be done. It would take years, not weeks, before the cities and towns would be rebuilt completely.

The weather had been exceptional, even this late in the year, and sisters had helped the crops further along, so that some quick growing crops would be ready to harvest in a few weeks time. At least in those areas where the people had submitted to Mesaana's rule, or agreed to a truce. It would not be an easy winter, but it wouldn't be as bad as people had feared it to be.

The Seanchan had followed Tuon, who had returned to her people along with Mat Cauthon, her husband and the new general of her armies, and three sisters to teach her. Only a relatively small force had withdrawn into a widespread forested area and sometimes attacked the cities or towns. But it was a small group and Sheriam was little concerned about the long-term success it would have. The damane and sul'dam were almost all turned, and in small groups were taken to a brand-new school in Imfaral, where they were taught to do without the a'dam.

The people of Shara caused more difficulties, fighting every step of the way, even though their country had been hit as hard as the mainland and there had been no coordinated recovery efforts. Egwene led an army of channelers, Trollocs and men, but she encountered resistance from those who had nothing but rubble to defend. A stubborn people!

Sheriam put the last sheet on her desk, straightened the stack, and went down to the dining hall to eat her dinner. It was the only meal she ate alone, nowadays. In the morning, she Traveled to Jahar's manor house and they had a quiet breakfast together, away from all those who felt they had to urgently speak to either one of them. Then she returned to Tar Valon for the day's work, and in the evening, unless pressing business kept him in the Black Tower, Jahar would come to her anteroom and they would go to the dining hall together, or if it had been a long day, they would go to her rooms and have supper brought there. Sometimes they would talk for a while longer, but most often Jahar would return to the Black Tower afterwards, to do more work and to be available for those who needed him, just like she was, here. It was only when their work kept them from meeting at mealtimes, or when they were much further apart in distance, that the dulled bond became a nuisance, and they would both be on edge.

There was still no way to release the bond. Merise had released Jahar soon after the opening of the Bore, uncomfortable with how far he stood above her. But none of the men had been able to figure out how the male version could be undone. They had managed to come up with a more regular version of the bond, one that did not include compulsion, but it, too, seemed to be permanent, and it seemed one could not be re-woven into the other.

As she was almost finished, she started to feel a little uncomfortable in her stomach. She frowned, the food was good as ever and even when the chaos had been at its worst, and the weevils had been in the grain, never once had it made her sick. Perhaps she had picked something up from one of the refuges who still came into the city from the South. The new arrivals were checked for any obvious illnesses and told to report to the Tower if they showed any sign of disease, but sometimes illness could be transmitted even when little showed. And she had toured the busy farmers' market the previous day, checking the quality of the power-grown produce and also making sure that the people saw her, and knew that no matter how busy they were all over the world, the Tower still had time to mind what went on in Tar Valon itself. Her immortality would not protect her from picking up a stomach flue, it only meant she would not have to fear death from disease. If she wanted to be free of the discomfort, she'd have to use normal means. She glanced around and saw Dagdara was just finishing her own food.

She flagged the sister down, and as they walked out of the dining hall, she explained the problem.

Dagdara followed her to her anteroom, then laid her hands on her. The tingle of the Delving spread through Sheriam, and Dagdara grinned.

"You are getting your period," Dagdara said, even as she wove different flows and the discomfort faded.

Sheriam blushed as she chided herself for not recognizing the problem. She should have remembered, remembered how she'd gone to Ryma Sedai as a novice, shy to speak about such a thing but urged by her failure to concentrate on her lessons for a couple days each month at least when she didn't.

"It's returning to all of us, except for the oldest, now we are no longer bound by the Oath Rod," Dagdara continued. She showed no embarrassment, the Yellow rarely did. Then her expression grew more serious. "You should keep in mind this also means you could get pregnant."

Sheriam started. She blushed again and almost blurted out she was not a Green, but she stopped herself in time. That had been a gut reaction, many sisters had married the Asha'man they were bonded to, regardless of their Ajah. Adrielle had been the first, even before the Great Lord was freed, but Gabrelle, Jenare, Beyaelle, Akoure, Sjani, Lemai, more than a few had followed in the months after. Some of them had even been Red.

"We're far too busy for that," she said instead.

"I'm sure," Dagdara said, but she did nothing to hide her skepticism. That too had changed over the months, and they no longer had to pretend they could not speak a lie, whether in truth or as a mere manner of speech. "Just keep it in mind, it takes a lot less time to sleep with a man than to raise a child."

Dagdara knew her too well, perhaps better than she knew herself. She and Jahar had grown close, no matter how the bond had started. She still wanted to get rid of the compulsive part, for while Jahar was careful to phrase everything, no matter how minor, as a suggestion rather than an order, it was inconvenient to always be on the alert. But apart from that, she finally admitted to herself, she no longer wanted the bond to be gone at all. The thought of sharing his bed was not so far fetched after that.

"Thank you, I will," she replied.

-0- -0-

(author's notes: I'm not 100% happy with the last few chapters, it is harder than I thought to tie up the ends for a story with so many characters, I wanted to show at least a few other reactions to the battle and the Breaking. I may revise this at some point, but I have family circumstances here and I wanted it published before the last part of the cannon series, two days from now. Hope it's at least passable!)


End file.
